ANGELS & DEMONS - Lesson 3

Satan is at war for your soul! Therefore, you MUST know your enemy! "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14)

The common belief that Satan is a vicious-looking monster with horns, a pointed tail, wearing red tights, and carrying a pitchfork is exactly what he wants you to believe. Why? Because it is a lie and Satan is the father of lies. The Bible tells us that Satan was created as "the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." (Ezekiel 28:12)  He may be disgusting in motive and action, but he appears desirable in manner and sight. He tempts you with desirable pleasures that might seem good in the moment but carry a heavy burden of death and destruction in the end.

Satan has great power. He is cunning and clever, having set himself against God and His people. He will do everything in his power to hold people captive in sin and to drag them down to the prison of eternal separation from God.

For those who are in Christ there is nothing to fear. Under God's authority we are no longer held captive by Satan to do his will. Satan and his hoard of demons are limited to only what God allows (see Job 1:1-12). However, for those who are NOT in Christ they are held in the snare of the devil to do his will (2 Timothy 22-26). As Hebrews 2:14-16 says, they are "...subject to lifelong slavery."

The invisible war is taking place all around us--good against evil, angels against demons (Ephesians 6:12). We are the object of this war! You are the prize! "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) 

SUBMIT and RESIST! God and His angels are fighting for you! (Hebrews 2:14-16)

ANGELS & DEMONS - Lesson 2

Angels are mentioned in the Bible 273 times--108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament. If you removed all references of angels from the Bible you would be left with gaping holes in narratives, inexplicable events, events that had no possible way of occurring. You would have to totally reject the New Testament.

Among the angels there is an order. Today we focused on the angels who are the closest to God--the seraphs (plural: seraphim) and cherubs (plural: cherubim). These two types of winged angels are considered the heavenly servants of God. They are constantly giving praise to God and are seen around the throne of God. The cherubim are sometimes known as the "throne angels". (Psalms 99:1; 80:1)

The seraphim are described by Isaiah in a vision (Isaiah 6:1-7). The cherubim were assigned by God to guard the eastern entrance to the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life after Adam and Eve disobeyed God. God's instructions to Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant (the dwelling place of God) included two cherubs of gold (Exodus 25:10-22). God instructed that the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle (the Holy of Holies) have two 15 foot cherubs made, with wings spread the length of the room. The vale to the inner sanctuary was embroidered with cherubim (1 Kings 6:23-28). Interestingly, Lucifer (Satan)--before he rebelled against God--was an "anointed guardian cherub (Ezekiel 28:12-15).

As we continue our study of angels, it will make us more and more aware of the invisible world that exist around us. Hopefully this study will help us turn our focus more toward our eternal home in Heaven while loosening our grip on the temporal things of this world.

ANGELS & DEMONS - Lesson 1

The Bible says that there are amazing beings occupying the universe, filling the void around us. Their number is uncounted, and they live in the heavenly sphere. And since the creation of man they have mingled in human affairs. These beings are the angels, powers, principalities, host, ministering spirits of God.

There are also the "fallen ones"--Lucifer and his demons. Lucifer's goal is to enslave the world of unbelievers--and even believers, if possible. Satan seeks to dominate people either by oppression or possession. He works through his demon hordes made up of the one-third of angels who followed him in his attempt to take over the throne of God in Heaven (Revelations 12:4).

There is a war taking place in the unseen world that surrounds us. (Ephesians 6:12) You must learn to "see" the unseen. You ask: "How can I look at the things that are unseen?" Answer: "If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:1-2)

Hebrews defines faith as "...the conviction of things not seen." (11:1) Speaking to Christians, Paul wrote, "We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

You may "know" of the angels and their existence, but to "see" them, you must renew your mind and set your focus on eternity. You must not become distracted by the temporal world, but instead plugin to the invisible world that is so very active all around you.

Our study on angels and demons will help you be aware of the critical role that these supernatural, spirit beings play in God's plan, both in history and eternity. It will give you a new view of God's creative power and tremendous sovereign control over the world and the universe. You will learn how God dispatches His holy angels not only to serve Him, but you!

LOCAL CHURCH - Membership - Lesson 3/3

Today we completed our three-part study "Why should I 'JOIN' a local church?" looking first at the history of the First Baptist Church, Dothan, and what membership in the local church might have looked like in 1887.

As far back as 1830 friendly Indians met and traded with each other at a thick poplar grove about half way between their home territories. This meeting ground became what is now Dothan. A large spring in the grove made it an ideal site for those in the area with cattle to trade. By 1850 nine families had settled there. The name Poplar Head was chosen but was abandoned on learning that another town already bore that name. The Methodists were the predominant religious group at first, and they are credited with being responsible for the biblical name, "Dothan," being chosen from Genesis 37:17. Later the Dothan Eagle popularized the phrase from this verse, "For I heard them say, let us go to Dothan."

In the early months of 1887 a small group of Dothan men and women of the Baptist faith began meeting for worship in homes, and at other times in the Methodist Church, which had been formed by 1879. In November of 1887, under the leadership of Reverend J.C. Skipper, the group organized into a church with Skipper as its pastor. Brother Skipper was 65 years of age when he became pastor. He was a farmer with a large family and proved to be a dedicated and energetic man of God. The nine charter members met for worship in a one-room frame building formerly used as a school.

Just imagine what the commitment must have been like for this young fellowship of believers. At that time (1887), Dothan (Poplar Head) was a very small settlement. Two years earlier, there were only 25 families living in Dothan. The nine charter members would have represented almost half of the families in Dothan.

Over the past 129 years, the First Baptist Church, Dothan, has grown from a small group of 9 to nearly 5,000 members at its height, and established five other churches in Dothan. All this started because 9 people felt it was important to "join" together as one body of believers.

The Bible teaches that people are in different stages of commitment and we only grow by making commitments. FBC Dothan is an example of what can happen when believers are committed to membership, maturity, ministry, and mission.

Next week we will begin the series, Angels and Demons.

LOCAL CHURCH - Membership - Lesson 2/3

As we continued in our study "Why should I "JOIN" a local church?", we looked at the seven statements you make when you join a local church. Next week we will complete this three-part study.

Beginning May 8th

LOCAL CHURCH - Membership - Lesson 1/3

Today we completed lesson one of a three-part (church-wide) series titled "Why Should I 'Join' a Local Church?"

Statistics show a growing decline in church membership across America.  With approximately 300,000 to 350,000 churches, the average attendance is estimated at 180 people each Sunday. The number is small because the majority of churches in the U.S. (280,000+) have weekly attendances of less than 500 and more than half of those churches (177,000) have attendances of less than 100. Most of the growth is found in the mega-churches having attendances exceeding 10,000. So what does this tell us? Why are church goers opting for the large mega churches? Could it be that people are looking for a place where they can be entertained and not be held accountable? Could it be that the motive for attending church is no longer to serve, but to be served?

Throughout the New Testament we see that the word "church" almost always is referring to a specific, local church, such as the church in Rome or the church in Corinth, or Ephesus, etc. As we looked today at numerous situations in scripture, we deduced that joining a local church and becoming a member of a local fellowship of believers was a fundamental commitment made by early Christians

Next week (lesson 2) we will look at what happens after a believer in Christ becomes a member of a local church.

HAPPINESS - Complete Joy!

The true source of joy (happiness) is described in 1 John 1:1-4:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life--the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us--that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete."

John walked with Jesus. He saw Christ with his own eyes; heard Him with his ears; touched Him with his hands. John had fellowship with Jesus on a daily basis. John is emphatic in his proclamation of the reality of Jesus Christ. He tells us that complete joy (full joy) is found in our fellowship with Christ.

As John continues to write, he tells us that we can only find this full joy--complete joy--when we are walking in the light. However, John also knows that many say they walk in the light when, in reality, they are walking in darkness. Fellowship with Jesus is not possible when we walk in darkness, for "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1:5)

John states that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1:9) When we acknowledge our sin and confess it, only then can we have fellowship with God.

You know your "joy is full" when the fellowship you have with God is REAL! It can only be real when we are walking in the light--confessed of our sin--and letting everything else go.

Jesus spent the last day of His earthly journey focused on sharing basic truths that are the foundation of the life of a Christian. He shared these truths in the Temple area with the those who would listen and with His disciples during the Passover feast and as they journeyed  to the Garden.

John's writings carry a strong undertone of what Jesus must have shared in those last few hours. The message Jesus shared was that we must "love one another"; that we must "walk in the light"; and that "through brokenness, God is glorified". Jesus prayed to the Father "... that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." (John 17:13).

Do you long for deep and enduring happiness? Do you want to have "complete joy"? You will find it when the fellowship you have with God is REAL."