Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
Hopefully you have read the first seven entries in this series. It all goes together. But this verse puts the emphasis on another attitude that I should have in all that I do. I am not to judge anyone else. I am not to criticize them, judge them, look down on them, feel myself superior to them, etc.
I am to judge this rather that I do not want to be a stumbling block in my brother’s life. I do not want to give him an opportunity to fall.
Simply put that means that there are things that I can do and have full liberty to do them but maybe I shouldn’t. Or if I do them I should be careful when and where I do them. They are not wrong in and of themselves but younger Christians might be offended and some might even fall into sin.
This is maybe the verse that most angers many who want their freedom to live and do as they please. They say along with Cain that they are not responsible for their brother and they are not his keeper. But the Holy Spirit is pretty clear. There are things that are perfectly legitmate that I might not should do.
It is not a question of whether or not it is right or wrong but how it will be perceived. How it will affect others.
There were people who were very strongly opposed to eating meat that had been offered to idols. Paul would rather not hurt his brother than enjoy his liberty.
Are you mature enough to realize that what you do affects others? Are you willing to restrain yourself from what you can legitamately do for the good of others?
As I did my Bible reading this morning I noticed that several verses dealt with anger. I usually end up reading the passage more than one time to get the idea that God is trying to work into my heart and life. I hope these verses help you.
Anger is a great problem for all of us I believe. It hurts our relationships in our family, in our workplace, on the roadway, and literally every where we go. At least these verses may give us some food for thought that might help us today.
Proverbs 14:17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
If you get angry quickly it will cause you to do and say foolish things. I am and have been guilty of this one for sure. I think I get righteously angry but then end up doing or saying something that I am sorry for. Do you have this problem?
Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly
Here we go again. In the same reading for today. If you are slow to anger then you are of great understanding. So I guess that means that if you are quick to get angry then you are of little understanding. Being easily and quickly changeable causes you to do foolish things. God help me to get my spirit and anger under control.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
I often answer without thinking and in defense of myself and my position. I could give a soft answer and turn away the wrath but I do not. I often use words that are hurtful and only cause the other person to get angry. God is speaking and we all need to listen. There is so much that we need to take from today’s reading and place in action in our lives.
Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
Not only does anger cause problems in my family and with my friends but then this angry person goes around trying to cause problems among others. I do not want to be a trouble maker not do I want to stir it up and neither do you. Consider these verses and let’s allow God to do a work in us.
Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Military people and military times but the king said you are better if you are slow to anger than if you are a great warrior. He said that you are doing something more important when you rule your spirit than when you take over a city in battle. This idea of getting our anger under control is obviously very important and something to work on today.
Friday Night Reformers Unanimous meets every Friday night at 7:00 pm. The program touches thousands of lives each week through addictions classes in over 400 cities in the United States and several foreign countries. Vision Baptist Church hosts the only chapter in the North Atlanta area.
Saturday Morning
Our Community Impact Team meets every Saturday at 10:10 am. They are always looking for new ways to impact the community and they are always looking for more volunteers. To learn more read from the blog the Chris Fies writes concerning this ministry. click here
Project China Yard Sale
Help us get the Tolsons out of here!! We love Mark and Natasha but we got to get them to China. God has called and they have answered. They have received 35% of their needed support in less than 4 months!! If you have items you can bring them to the church or bring them by Stonebrook Commons on Saturday from 8 am – 12 am.
Sunday Morning
We will continue in our series called the “Hall of Faith”. Pastor Gardner will be bringing a message entitled “Defeating death by Faith”. You will not want to miss out any of the messages from this exciting series.
Sunday Night
Night we will have our monthly “question and answer session” to be followed by a church wide social. Please, join us and bring your favorite snack/ appetizer. (Editors Notes: Mrs. Sandy it would be appreciated if you brought cucumber sandwiches). Email your questions to Trent@visionbaptist.com or txt 770.853.8148
Once I had nothing but a heart of stone, and although through grace I now have a new and fleshy heart, much of my former obduracy remains. I am not affected by the death of Jesus as I ought to be; neither am I moved by the ruin of my fellow men, the wickedness of the times, the chastisement of my heavenly Father, and my own failures, as I should be. O that my heart would melt at the recital of my Saviour’s sufferings and death. Would to God I were rid of this nether millstone within me, this hateful body of death. Blessed be the name of the Lord, the disease is not incurable, the Saviour’s precious blood is the universal solvent, and me, even me, it will effectually soften, till my heart melts as wax before the fire.
(Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening : April 28 PM)
Proverbs 13:13-14 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
What attitude do you have towards the Word of God? Do you highly esteem, respect, love and honor the Bible or do you have a care less attitude? Some would not hate the Bible it would just not be important to them. Or if they said that it was important they would mean that in theory but not enough to spend some time reading and thinking about it every day.
Did you know that God’s Word is the way to life? The one who despises the Word will be destroyed but the one who fears and respects will be rewarded. God’s Word has been the source for the wise. It is through the Word that they learn to stay way form the snares or traps of Satan.
That brings us to the practical application. How do you feel about the Bible? Do you love it and want to hear it preached, taught, and become a part of your life? Do you have a little respect for the Bible but not enough to allow it to change your life?
The majority of us are around the Bible enough to have it do a major work in us. Yet our attitude hinders God’s work in us and we are the ones that will suffer the consequences.
Decide today to honor His Word. Decide today to spend time with God in His Word to let it become part of your lifestyle.
You should know, recognize, and love the couple in the silhouette above. They have given so much of their time to serve in and through our church. For future security reasons we do not link their name to their picture online. They are exactly the type of couple a church should be getting behind and sending to China! They have responsibilities as “goers” and we have responsibilities as “senders”. Here is a chance to help them along on their journey to China!!
This Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm there will be a community yard sale at the Stonebrook Commons in Cumming, GA. The teenagers will be gathering things to sale all this week to go into the yard sale to help get our friends to China. It is hard to believe they are already taking steps to downsize as they will be spending more and more time on the road. If everything keeps on the current pace they will be leaving for China in the spring of 2010!!
If you have items you are willing to donate for this yard sale you can bring them to the church on Thursday night or you can contact Trent Cornwell (770.853.8148) and he will arrange to have someone pick them up. We think this is a wonderful and easy way you can help us mobilize one of our own to the mission field!!
Learn more about this couple at www.projectchina.org
Obituary
Ralph A. Hamby, age 80, a resident of Cleveland, went home to be with the Lord early Sunday morning, April 26, 2009 from the family residence. Mr. Hamby was born January 22, 1929 and he was the son of the late Eva Anderson Hamby and Andrew Jerry Hamby. His sisters, Nina Hamby, Altha Farrell and Agel Lane also preceded him in death. Mr. Hamby was a U. S. Army Veteran serving in the Korean Conflict. He was retired from Magic Chef with 27 years of service. Mr. Hamby loved working in his vegetable garden and would give away most of the vegetables he grew. He was a member of the Echoes of Mercy Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Mildred West Hamby of Cleveland, his sons, Doug Hamby and his wife Geneva of Athens, Tennessee, Dean Hamby and his wife Karen of Jefferson, Georgia, Stan Hamby and his wife Terry and Duane Hamby and his wife Lisa all of Cleveland, his grandchildren, Avery Hamby, Brian Hamby and his wife April, Jenny Mealor and her husband Karl, Jason Hamby and his wife Amanda, Julie Holt and her husband Nathan, Melissa Gaston and her husband Darren, Hannah Hamby, Karen Hamby and Rebekah Hamby, his great grandchildren, Brianna Hamby, Madison and Marion Mealor, Joshua Hamby, Seth Gaston, Aaron Holt, Katie Mealor, Zack Gaston, Blake and Noah Hamby, Randy Holt, Grace Mealor, Luke Hamby, Noah Gaston, Brent Hamby, Gracie Gaston and Sophie Mealor and his sisters, Virginia Clark of Benton and Iowa Hamby of Etowah. Several nieces and nephews also survive. The Remembrance of Life Service will be conducted Wednesday morning at 11:00 from the Echoes of Mercy Baptist Church with Pastor Daniel White and Pastor Jason Hamby officiating. Graveside services and Interment will be conducted Thursday morning at 10:00 from the Chattanooga National Cemetery with Brian Hamby, Darren Gaston, Duane Hamby, Karl Mealor, Larry Woodhouse and Nathan Holt serving as active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearer will be Larry Taylor. Military honors will be given. The family request that Memorials be made to the Macedonia World Baptist Missions for Jason Hamby’s Ministry, P. O. Box 519, Braselton, Georgia 30517 or to the Echoes of Mercy Baptist Church Building Fund, 535 Durkee Road, Cleveland, Tennessee 37323. The family will receive friends from 6 until 9 P. M. Tuesday at the Wildwood Chapel of the Jim Rush Funeral Homes who has charge of the arrangements.
Romans 14:10-12 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Regardless of your position on the grey areas you are not to judge your brother. He is your brother even if you do not agree on these areas that are not as clearly defined in the Bible.
Notice the word the Holy Spirit uses. Why do you show contempt or set at nought your brother? That is done from both sides. The one who feels that he can eat meat and not respect the same days believes that somehow he is more spiritual, free, and has a right to think less of his brother in Christ.
On the other side the one who has taken a strict view will do the same. He will say that his brother doesn’t love God, isn’t separated or clean, etc. He will show contempt. The Holy Spirit wants to know why we do that.
Could it be that we do not understand that we will all stand before the real judge and we aren’t needed in that capacity? Could it be that we do not understand that God is the only one that can call one of us into account for our lives.
What a great truth! Do not judge your brother. Do not show contempt for him. Realize that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Realize that we will all give an accounting to Him!
The major lesson here is; don’t have a bad attitude towards your brother, not if takes a weaker or stronger stand than you do.
We can live together as family and love each other. We can shock the world with our love one for another. We have been known for too long as being judgmental.
Let’s be known for what we are for more than for what we are against!
Sandy Pearson is like the heart of our church. She does much of the accounting work. She has sacrificed her life and everything for many years to get the gospel to the world. She and John are two of the finest people that I have ever known.
Sandy is the life of a party. She does so much to make others comfortable and happy. She is a behind the scenes person at our church. She carries a load that most don’t know about at all.
Today is her birthday and I just wanted to tell her publicly that it is a privilege to serve as her pastor and to serve God with her.
I pray that God raises up a thousand more like her.
God bless you Sandy. Thanks for the way you have lived such a selfless life. Thank you for the way you are a giver and server. Thank you for all you do.
Proverbs 9:7-9 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
How do you deal with reproof? The wise man lays out the ways different people respond to instruction and reproof. Today is a good day to look that over and see how we respond and maybe even correct our normal response.
The scorner only embarrasses the one that tries to reprove him. Instead of helping he gets it thrown back at him. A scorner is one who considers others unworthy and despicable. He has this attitude even about the things of God. The scorner will only hate you if you try to help him.
The wicked man causes you to get the bad reputation. The stain on your name.
But the wise and just man responds very differently. This is the one that we want to be. If you rebuke the wise man he will love you. If you teach a wise man he will just get wiser, smarter and more capable. If you teach the just man he will increase in learning.
As I read this I am asking myself how I respond. Am I still teachable? Will I allow others to speak to me and help me to continue to grow in grace and in my service to the Lord. Sometimes as we get older we think we know everything and will not allow others to help us.
We may be men of God and wise but we could begin to act like the wicked scorner. I think that is what happens to older men sometimes. I think that I can be guilty of this.
I want to keep serving God as long as I can. I do not want to allow my age and experience to make me a scorner.
