Job

Read until Job 31 today,  found that Job was badly hit over night and he is very upset and turn up to be very negative until JOB 31.

Can you imagine overnight all the people who are close to you all gone.

God actually give a green light to Satan to proceed to persecute Job.

Job 1:12 NIV
The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord .

In a flip of second everything is gone.

Job 1:13-19 NIV

One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”   While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”   While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”   While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

Book of Job

It started with the conversation between God and Satan. God allowed Satan to trial Job.

Overnight,  Job lost his children and all his wealth.

At bonce stage, Job was cursing God and he is so down until even it is light he sees darkness.

His three friends come talk to him. But that doesn't seem help.

Finally God spoke to him.

It started by showing Job all these things in the world that God are in control of all these. 

Finally,  Job 42,  God blessed Job his second part of his life more than first half of his life.

Job 42:12 NIV
The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.

Job 42:13 NIV
And he also had seven sons and three daughters.

Prostitute in bible

Story of Joshua spies the promises land and working with Rahab who is a prostitute. Notice that the bible purportedly stated Rahab is a prostitute. God make use of the lower status people in the society.

Joshua 2:1 NIV
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

Discipleship 2 - salt

Psalm 105
Story of the
Pastor Jeremiah Steeper

Church have enough people but not enough disciple

Luke 14
Luke 14:34 NIV
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

1. Important of salt

Medically speaker,  salt is sustainer of life
Sea water, 80% of earth
Salt as persevetive agent
Salt as money olden day
Salary = Salt

Can salt losses it saltiness?
Sodium chloride   - stable element

History
Salt collected from Dead Sea
Rain washes the salt crtyslise
Salt losses it saltiness
Throw out

We are in the world but not belong to the world

How can Christian be aware and not be washes away our saltiness

Story
Gandhi
What is the great. Hindrance to Christianity in India
Answer - Christian
Reason - he was in a church of a white people but was asked to leave.

Christian lifestyle

Society place high expectancy on Christian

Challenge - walk our talk by the help of God grace

Story
Company Interview
Consider one person Facebook posting

People read Christian life

2. Salt as persevetive
Task of disciple is to stop the decay of the world

Wicked world
Same sex marriage

Hospital was originated by Christian
Red Cross - initiated by Christian
Mission school -

Moral decay. Speak out for below
1. Abortion
2. Lesbian/homosex

Speak with conscience

3. Influence
Your task , middle person to lead them to know Jesus Christ
Let the holy spirit do the conversion

Church that is waiting for sinner to come to church is like the police waiting for the criminal to come to report them self in Police station

Book of Joshua

I will break it up to 2 section. First half talking about how Joshua together with God take over the promise land. This part is interesting. The second part after he has completed the mission then it is time to divide the land to the tribe. So far I found there is nothing much to pick up in the second half.

It started with the word of encouragement. BE STRONG.

Joshua 1:6-9 NIV
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.   “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Jericho
How Joshua took Jericho by obeying God command.

Joshua 6:3 NIV
March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.

Joshua 6:5 NIV
When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

Failure of taking over Ai
After the Jericho victory, people started to sin. They failed for the first attempt for Ai.

Joshua 7:11 NIV
Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.

Casual follower or committed disciple

Psalm 105.1 to 15

Luke 14:26 NIV

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.

Read Chinese translation
Unless we love Jesus deeper than we love ourself

路加福音 14:26
人到我這裡來，若不愛我勝過愛自己的父母，妻子，兒女，弟兄，姐妹和自己的性命，就不能作我的門徒。〔愛我勝過愛原文作佷〕 (分享自Android快速聖經)

Luke 14:26 CEVDCUS06
You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot follow me unless you love me more than you love your own life.

1 John 4:19 NIV
We love because he first loved us.

Story
A Sister persecuted by her family but proceed and graduated from bible college.  Whole Family Accepted Christ.

Luke 14:27 NKJV
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Cross
1. Mean death. Burden.
2. Martyrdom
3. Die to self. Self life in us could be the stumbling block to put Jesus first

Self center danger
1. Like constitutional monarchy. We are the Prime Minister,  who are in charge. Jesus just a figure head.

Daily Self Examination

Cheap Grace

cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

Luther
Religious who suffer nothing is worth nothing

Winning soul

Matt 28.18 to 20

Matthew 28:19 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Cell group slogan
Glowing Going Growing

Great commission culture
1. Engaging

John 4:16 NIV6
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

People can sense the care you have toward them

Build the relationship

2. Launch out the ordinary with extra ordinary
Matt 14. 17

Matthew 14:17 NIV
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

Who bring the 5 loaves and 2 fishes. ?
A little boy , ordinary boy
Jesus do the rest
Faith

Matthew 17:20 NIV
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.  ”

Take the first step
Peter take the first step to walk on the water

3. Driven by companion but events

Jesus heal 2 blind mens on the way to Jericho. There is no evangelical event but on the way to some where

Stop See Serve

4. Show gospel not shove  to them

Acts 1:8 NIV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

5th gospel
You are the live gospel and disciple to thev world

Never criticises other religion
Hold Your Horses
Build the relationship first

5. Sowing Into The Life Of Other

Matthew 13:23 NIV
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Great commission culture is engaging with the World, God will provide the rest

Reaching out is the lifestyle,  culture not the burden

Discipleship

Lord make me a disciple !

Three primary tasks

1.  Evengelised

Matthew 28:19 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

How many soul you lead to Lord.?

2.  Obey

Matthew 28:20 NIV

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

3. Character building

Romans 8:29 NIV

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Lay person ask
1..why I have to go through thus rough time. ..?

Lord , what you want me to learn.