THE GLORY DAYS

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

THE GLORY DAYS

(Eccl 7:10) Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Bruce Springsteen has a song entitled “Glory Days” where he describes bumping into once popular school friends who were longing for the former good old days. These were the light-hearted times when they were in their prime and the world was at their feet. It’s what we call today the “rear-view mirror syndrome” and it’s what Job was struggling with. But is that where we should have our focus? It’s time to put away the yearbook and get out the notebook because God wants to fill our future with good days to come. These are the new GLORY DAYS!

Job was looking back to better days (Job 29:1-6). A wave of sentimentality came over him and he told his friends how great things used to be. He felt close to God. His family had that togetherness. He was respected in the community and people sought out his counsel. He had means and was able to help the less fortunate in their time of need. He had security and the future looked bright and the only direction in his life was forward.

We can all look back to happy times in our lives. If you really think about it you can select certain periods in your memory where you felt joyful and content. You were in your prime and things were just fine. But I believe that even in a world of strife and woe, God gives us happy times in life. (Psa 128:2) When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. (Gen 30:13; Deu 33:29; Psa 127:5; Psa 144:15; Acts 26:2)

In chapter 30 Job goes on to compare his present circumstances with his former glory days and he laments. He said even his servant’s children mock him and his plight. People abhor him and even spit on him. He intimated that his best days were over and he had been placed on the shelf as an item no longer useful. All he felt was his present pain. He cries out to God but receives no answer. He felt this was all unfair after he had done so much good in life. He ended by saying basically that his musical instrument was now accustomed to playing sad songs. (Judg 6:12-13; Ezra 3:10-12)

Did Job ever get his glory days back? The answer is “no” and “yes.” He couldn’t relive his old glory days but neither was he supposed to. God had new glory days ahead for Job. (Job 42:10) And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. We too are not to go back and try to relive the former glory days. We can’t go back, we can only go forward. And because of God’s grace in our lives we can overcome our current struggles and enter our new glory days that will make our former glory days pale in comparison! (2 Sam 7:19; 2 Cor 3:7-11; 1 Cor 2:9) Because of Jesus…these are the good ole days…THE GLORY DAYS!!

Louie

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THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

(Gal 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

There’s nothing like fresh fruit. There’s something attractive about the look, smell, and taste of fruit. When the Holy Spirit controls our lives we will bear fruit for our Lord that builds up believers and attracts sinners to Christ. Pray over each one and you will be fruitful for our Lord!

- LOVE (agape) is listed first because it is the foundation of the other graces (1 Cor 13:4-8a). (John 15:13) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

- JOY (chara) is a deep and abiding inner rejoicing which was promised to those who abide in Christ. Different from happiness which is based on happy circumstances. (John 15:11) "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

- PEACE (eirene) is an inner repose and quietness, even in the face of adverse circumstances. (John 14:27) "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
- LONGSUFFERING (makrothumia) is patient forbearance towards others and slowness in avenging wrongs. (Eph 4:2) with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.

- KINDNESS (chrestotes) is benevolence (love) in action. (1 John 3:18) My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

- GOODNESS (agathosune) is uprightness of soul and an action reaching out to others to do good even when it is not deserved. (1 Sam 24:17) Then he (Saul) said to David: "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.

- FAITHFULNESS (pistis) is the quality which renders a person trustworthy or reliable. (1 Cor 4:2) Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

- GENTLENESS (praotes) is meekness; the right use of power and authority (power under control). (Phil 4:5) Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

- SELF-CONTROL (egkrateia) denotes self-mastery and relates to curbing the fleshly impulses just described in Galatians 5:19-21. (1 Cor 9:27) But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Louie

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JEHOVAH WITNESSES

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

JEHOVAH WITNESSES

The Jehovah's Witnesses was begun by Charles Taze Russell in 1872. He had difficulty in accepting the doctrine of eternal damnation and so came to deny this teaching of the Bible. He also came to reject the Trinity, the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. When he was 18 Russell organized a Bible class in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1879 it was his desire to popularize his ideas. He co-published The Herald of the Morning magazine with its founder, N. H. Barbour. By 1884 Russell controlled the publication and renamed it The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom. He also founded Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society (now known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society - WTBTS). The first edition of The Watchtower magazine was only 6,000 copies each month. Today the Witnesses' publishing complex in Brooklyn, New York, pump out 100,000 books and 800,000 copies of its two magazines--daily!

After the death of Russell on Oct. 31, 1916, a Missouri lawyer named Joseph Franklin Rutherford took over the presidency of the Watch Tower Society which was known then as the International Bible Students Association. In 1931 he changed the name of the organization to "The Jehovah's Witnesses." Succeeding leaders have been Nathan Knorr, Frederick Franz, Milton Henschel, and Don A. Adams. Today the religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism!

Jehovah's Witnesses are best known for their door-to-door preaching, distribution of literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, and for their refusal of military service, saluting the flag, and blood transfusions. They do not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or other holidays and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity.

The Jehovah’s Witness religion has made a number of predictions about the end of the world. The first was 1914 – they based their prediction on prophecies from the Book of Daniel. After the end did not come, they changed the meaning of the prediction and stated that it was the date that Jesus would begin to rule invisibly. Some other years that the group have predicted the end of the world to come are: 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975, etc. (see Deut 18:20-22)

Here are some of the major aberrant teachings of the Jehovah Witnesses (JWs):

- TRINITY: JWs find it difficult to worship “a three-headed God.” They call Jesus a “mighty god,” but not the Almighty God— Jehovah. (See Gen 1:26; Mat 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14)

- DEITY OF CHRIST: JWs teach Jesus was created by God and that He had been the archangel Michael in heaven before He came to Earth. Their translation of John 1:1 from their New World Translation says the Word (Jesus) was “a” god. (See Mat 1:23; John 8:58; John 20:28; Phil 2:6; Col 2:9; Titus 2:13; Rev 1:8)

- BODILY RESURRECTION OF JESUS: As for Jesus’ resurrection, the JWs insist that Christ did not rise bodily from the dead, but only as a spirit who looked as if He were a body. (See John 20; Rom 1:3-4; 1 Cor 15)

- CHRIST’S FULL ATONEMENT: Man is saved through works and perfect obedience to Jehovah—by being and doing exactly what the WTBTS teaches. (See Eph 1:7; Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)

The next time you hear a knock on the door don’t feel intimidated. Remember Jesus died for the JWs too!

Louie

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CCNORCO BEACH BASH/BAPTISM

CCNORCO BEACH BASH is Saturday, August 27 (NOT AUGUST 20...that was a bulletin typo), 5pm at Huntington State Beach. Come for a fun time of eating and fellowship around the fire pit. Enter at Brookhurst Ave. and Coast Highway and look for the CCNorco signs. Parking is 15.00 so think about carpooling to share the expense. Why not come early and enjoy the surf and sun if you so choose. Bring your own food/beverage,recreation equipment, blanket and jacket and we'll praise 'till sunset! There will also be an opportunity to be baptized in the ocean. (Psalm 93:4) The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.

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BIBLE FUN FACTS FOR KIDS (of all ages!)

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

BIBLE FUN FACTS FOR KIDS (of all ages!)

Kids getting bored this summer? Nothing to do in the car? Then have fun exploring these fun Bible facts!

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT FACTS: The Bible is a collection of 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1,500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents; Did you know the Bible contains 773,693 words and 3,566,480 letters and 31,102 verses. Reading them all aloud would take a person approximately 70 hours!; The Old Testament has 39 books, while the New Testament has 27 books, bringing the total to 66; The Apostle Paul wrote 13 books (almost half) of the New Testament; The Bible contains 1,189 chapters; You can read through the Bible in one year if you read approximately 3 chapters a day; The first three words in the Bible are 'in the beginning'; The first five books of the Bible, referred to as the Pentateuch, were written by Moses; The last word in the Bible is 'Amen'; The most popular verse in the Bible is John 3:16; The most comforting chapter in the Bible is Psalms 23; The central theme of the Bible is redemption through Christ.

LONGEST AND THE SHORTEST: The shortest book in the Bible is 1 John 3 with one chapter, 13 verses; The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11: 35, 'Jesus wept'; The longest book in the Bible is Psalms; The longest verse is Esther 8:9 containing 90 words; The longest word in the Bible is a name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isaiah 8:1).

STRONGEST, WISEST, OLDEST, TALLEST: The strongest and wisest men in the Bible are Samson and Solomon; The tallest and biggest villain in the Bible is Goliath whose height was over 9 ½ feet; The greatest warrior in the Bible is Gideon, who defeated 135,000 Midianites along with 300 men and 300 trumpets under God's power; The oldest individual in the Bible was Methuselah (Genesis 5:27), who died at the age of 969!; Giant who had the first king size bed was king Og of Bashan (Deut 3:11).

DID YOU KNOW: Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 118 is the central chapter of the Bible and Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible; Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet, except 'J'; The word 'God' appears 3,841 times in the Bible; The two books, 'Songs of Solomon' and 'Esther' have no mention of God in them; The word "Christian" only appears three times in the Bible; A sheep is the most frequently mentioned animal in the Bible; The only domesticated animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat!; Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer are the three angels mentioned by name in the Bible.

OTHER FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE: The Bible is the most shoplifted book in the world; About 50 bibles are sold every minute; Enoch and Elijah were two men in the bible who never died!; A raven was the first animal to emerge from the ark; There are 49 different foods mentioned in the Bible; Almonds and pistachios are the only nuts mentioned in the Bible; The word "grandmother" appears in the Bible only once (2 Tim 1:5 KJV); Seven suicides are recorded in the Bible.

UNUSUAL FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE: Man who used a stone for a pillow (Gen 28:11); Man who had a conversation with a donkey (Numbers 22:28-30); Sun and moon stood still for a whole day (Josh 10:12-14); A woman killed a man by driving a nail through his head (Judges 4:17-21); Men lapped water like dogs (Judges 7:4-7); Man who had twelve fingers and twelve toes (2 Sam 21:20-21); Man who outran a chariot (1 Kings 18:41-46); An axe head that floated in the river (2 Kings 6:1-6); Woman who boiled and ate her son (2 Kings 6:26-31); Woman whose body was eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:30-37); The sun travelled backwards (Isa 38:1-8); Man who walked naked for three years (Isa 20:2-4); Man ate locusts for food (Mat 3:4). Believe it or not!!

Louie

I NEED A VACATION

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

I NEED A VACATION

(Mark 6:31) And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Well here we are in the middle of summer and the height of the vacation season. We’re seeing lots cars with full luggage racks and out of state license plates. And people we know are talking of their exciting plans to frolic in fun places. And in the midst of it all you might be longing to get away and recreate but you’re broke and under a busy yoke. How do you handle all that pressure in life and still try to be happy for others who are able to get away? (Psa 55:6) So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

Traveling with Jesus was exciting for His disciples. But sometimes it got crazy! There were so many people to reach and keeping up with Jesus was exhausting. The disciples had just returned from a mission the Master had sent them on and they came back with no time to decompress. They jumped right back into ministry with Jesus and the Bible says they were so busy they didn’t even have time to eat. Jesus recognized their need for some space so He sent them on a much needed break so they could refresh themselves.

Is that what you need to do? Do you need to get away and take that vacation you’ve been dreaming about? Some say they can’t afford it but it’s really just a matter of priority. There are inexpensive things you can do. And you don’t have to go very far. You can even stay home and do day trips. But why is it we are so driven as a culture to work, work, work? I think it’s because we are proving our worth by our work. Our European counterparts enjoy much time off throughout the year because they value lifestyle and quality of life. But here in America we push ourselves to burnout. We feel guilty when we relax. We don’t want people to think we’re lazy. And we feel indispensible at work like the business would go belly up in our absence! (Isa 28:12) To whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear.

But the Lord has promised rest to His people! (Psa 37:7) Rest in the Lord… (Psa 116:7) Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. Hard work must be balanced with rest. Let’s remember God gave the Sabbath for His people Israel to rejuvenate. But if there isn’t any respite then our body and our emotional state begin to break down and we start suffering the consequences. There’s times you have to push yourself and then you trust God that you will have times of repose. Like a beautiful piece of classical music that gets chaotic, hits a peak crescendo, and then resolves into a lazy river of symphony that caresses your weary soul. (Acts 3:19)…that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

But remember this beloved…you can spend all that money and go to an exotic place and still be miserable. Why? Because you take yourself with you! There have been vacations where I have been in the most beautiful place but the place in my heart was not so beautiful. Times like these we learn the vacation we need is to enter the rest that Jesus has for us. (Mat 11:28-30) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

God wants us to stop striving and start thriving. Our getaway isn’t so much getting away as much as it is giving away our heavy burdens and cares to the Lord. Then when God allows us a retreat we are not so much running away from something as much as looking for a place to match that perfect peace of the heart.

Louie

THE CHRISTIAN WORKER

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

THE CHRISTIAN WORKER

(Rom 16:9) Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ…

You have probably never heard of Urbanus before. But as Paul was winding up his letter to the Roman believers he gave greetings to this man and called him a “fellow worker.” We don’t know much else about Urbanus since he is only mentioned here and nowhere else in the Bible. All we can say is that he wasn’t a country boy since his name means “belonging to the urbs or city.” But we do know how he spent his time as a busy urbanite. He was a fellow worker in Christ, serving the Lord right where he was.

There is always so much to do with our time. Think of all that’s on your plate. But in the midst of all your activities and responsibilities do you ever feel like there must be more to life than how you spend your energies? Is all that effort going in the right direction? Do you ever desire to do something for eternity and not just for the temporal? Then like Urbanus, the Lord might be calling you to be a Christian worker.

In any given ministry there are so many things that need to be done. When God is moving there is the necessity to keep up with the flow of the Spirit. Ministries spring up and as a result there is a lack of Christian workers to get the work done. As you look into the behind-the-scenes of a ministry it is typical to see a small group of people doing most of the work. But as the ministry grows these Christian workers can become taxed. What is therefore created is the necessity for others to step up to the plate to share in this blessed work for the Lord. Jesus was insightful on this: (Mat 9:37-38) Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Christian workers are not to complain but to pray. They are also not to make others feel guilty that they are doing all the work. Remember Martha on that (Luke 10:38-42). God will provide the workers.

Having a changed life in Christ is the most thrilling experience on earth. Others put into your life as a newborn baby (1 Pet 2:2). But as you grow and mature in Christ you will naturally feel like you want to put back in what you have taken out. That’s when you will want to start praying about how you can serve the Lord. Then wait on the Lord (Psa 27:14). As you do the doors will open (Rev 3:7-8) and you will have the excitement of service for our King! (Psa 100:2) Serve the LORD with gladness…

As God opens the door you will feel privileged to serve the Lord. You won’t believe God has chosen you to do something for Him. Your cup will overflow and it will be hard to wait until your next opportunity for service comes around. In between you pray fervently over your ministry and the people involved in it. Then you spend time preparing not only your heart but also what you need to do to be ready to serve. As all this transpires you will feel so fulfilled because you are doing something that really makes a difference in life.

As much as the life of a Christian worker is exciting it will also have its challenges. Satan will seek to discourage the servant of the Lord. (2 Cor 2:11) He might suggest that you are not bearing fruit and that you should go ahead and quit. (1 Cor 15:58) Next, Satan might propose that you are not worthy of your ministry because you are falling short and don’t deserve to serve the Lord. (Rev 12:10; 1 John 2:1-2). Be advised He will also try to draw you into conflict with other Christian workers. (Mat 18:15-35) Don’t give in to these tendencies because the reward for serving Lord is just too great! (Heb 6:10) For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Louie