2017 Michigan Bible Conference

ROM-300-170916 - length: 111:58 - taught on Sep, 16 2017

Class Outline:

2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

Welcome To

THE MICHIGAN BIBLE CONFERENCE

of BARAH MINISTRIES

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

www.barahministries.com

Good Evening!

As Tony said, welcome to the first ever Michigan Bible Conference of Barah Ministries…a Christian Church with worldwide impact based in Mesa, Arizona…my name is Pastor Rory Clark. I’m hoping that this isn’t the first and only Michigan Bible Conference.

At Barah Ministries we worship the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We call Him Lord because He is 100% God. We call Him Jesus Christ because He is 100% human, just like you and me. He is unique in that He is God and Man in one Person…forever. He is the uniquely born one. Here’s what John, Chapter 1, Verse 14 says of Him…

JOHN 1:14

And the Word (the Lord…God the Son) became flesh (Jesus Christ…God took on human form), and tabernacled (lived) among us, and we beheld His glory…the glory of the uniquely born One from the source of God the Father, full of grace and truth.

I appreciate it that you’ve taken the time to attend and to listen to this lesson, and I’m pleased to be able to share the Word of God with you tonight.

The Lord Jesus Christ entrusts His believers with the authority to introduce His Person to those who don’t have a relationship with Him…Matthew, Chapter 28, Verses 18 to 20 say this…

MATTHEW 28:18

And the Lord Jesus Christ came up and spoke to His eleven disciples, saying, “All authority has been given to Me by God the Father, both in heaven and on earth.” 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

MATTHEW 28:19

“Therefore keep on going out, and keep on discipling all the nations, and keep on baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…”

MATTHEW 28:20

“…and keep on teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…”

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God? To be sure, what you think is true is a private matter between you and the Lord, yet it is the most important decision you get to make in your lifetime. So if you’re wondering why I am here, it’s because helping you make that decision is just as important as you are to me. The Lord Jesus Christ empowers His believers, like me, to spread the word concerning all He is willing to do to save ALL mankind. It is my absolute pleasure to be doing just that, both on this night, and for the last two decades of my life. Psalm 118, Verse 24 proclaims…

PSALM 118:24

This is the day that the Lord has made…let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Welcome to a place where you can get to know God, where you can learn His Word, and where you can know His will for your life.

TONIGHT’S BIBLE LESSON

I’m Not Religious…I’m More Spiritual

If you’ve ever been on a dating website, or if recently you have had a conversation with anyone about God, this is one of the expressions that is circulating…“I’m not religious…I’m more spiritual.” Well like a host of other stupid expressions that people repeat like parrots… “at the end of the day” … “It’s all good” … “Don’t go there” … “And I’m like” … and one of my least favorites… “No, you’re fine” … these mindless sound bytes easily settle into our psyches as if they are true, without even a question of their validity. “I’m not religious…I’m more spiritual.” Well as a Pastor, when I hear this expression…to the first part, “I’m not religious,” I say great. Religion is the most effective, and most destructive mass deception in the history of mankind. To the second part, “I’m more spiritual,” you can’t be 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

considered spiritual if you spend none of your 168 hours a week gift from God getting to know Him.

For example…you can’t say you’re spiritual if you didn’t know, and if you can’t articulate, that God the Son, the Lord, created you…that He created the heavens…that He created the earth…and that He created everything in the universe. John, Chapter 1, Verses 3 says…

JOHN 1:3

All things came into being through the Lord (God the Son), and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

The Lord, God the Son, gave you life. Did you know that? Can you say it with confidence? Genesis, Chapter 2, Verse 7…

GENESIS 2:7

Then the Lord God (God the Son) formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives (neshima) and man became a living being.

You can’t consider yourself spiritual if you don’t know that.

The Lord knows you by name. Did you know that? There never has been a time when the Lord didn’t know you by name. There never will be a time when He doesn’t have your name in His mind. You can’t consider yourself spiritual if you don’t know that.

The Lord wants things from you. And He wants you to do the things He wants from you voluntarily, and not under compulsion. And although there are many things He wants from you, tonight I’d like to share a few things God wants from you that would make you spiritual.

The Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord Jesus Christ, wants you to know what it takes to cultivate the spiritual side of you. He wants you to make the most important decision of your life tonight if you haven’t…the decision for or against having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He wants you to take this seriously. He wants you to put aside your preconceptions, inculcated into you by religion and to be open to the real truth, which God is always revealing to you with His small voice, if you are 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

listening.

Let’s begin our lesson with a song…written and produced by Barah Ministries song worship leader June Murphy. It’s a song about a woman who met the Supreme Being of the Universe quite by accident, and whose life was changed forever because of it…the woman at the well from John, Chapter 4. The song is COME SEE A MAN.

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

COME SEE A MAN

June Murphy

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray...

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

Father, thank you for protecting us tonight from Your enemy, Satan, the ruler of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of death...we know through Your Word that what Your enemy wants to do tonight is to sneak into this gathering with His subtle, insidious distractions, to divert our attention away from the simplicity of getting to know You and Your Son, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…just for this next two hours, Father, and for our time together tomorrow…we ask you to protect us from the intrusions…to help us consider You to be more important than Facebook, and Instagram, and Twitter, and Snapchat, and text messages, and e-mail, and private conversations, and all the other distractions that take us away from hearing a simple and powerful message concerning the payoff of worshipping You and the Lord…

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit in Christ’s name...Amen. 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

TONIGHT’S BIBLE LESSON

I’m Not Religious…I’m More Spiritual

This conference is a reward for two of my dearest friends…Heather Luttermoser and Tony LoGrasso.

There are many things I admire about Heather…among them, that she embodies an ideal, often expressed this way…“Big things come in small packages.” When people look at Heather’s life from the outside, they see what she describes as “a mess.” And frankly, it is. I would describe her life as “confounding.” When something or someone is confounding, it is all at once both perplexing and amazing…a life characterized by sudden disturbances and total surprises. It is bewildering and confusing and prone to throw things into disorder. A “whirling dervish” is the way the Brits would describe Heather...a person whose behavior resembles a rapidly spinning object…a person whose actions are often spastic, and fidgeting, and characterized by incessant babbling…all at once irritating and annoying and often exhausting to the people in her immediate vicinity. Having known Heather for the last ten years, I’d say I have experienced every one of those things with her. “Damn it Heather” is a thought that is never far from my tongue when I’m around her.

As for Heather, she spends a great deal of her life laughing with that infectious laugh…and if you’re on the other side of that laugh you’re always wondering if she’s laughing at you or with you…thought secretly you know she’s laughing AT you most of the time for not understanding her uniqueness.

Looking beyond the confoundedness, however, I see something that you may not see…or if you see it, you may not notice…that every day, Heather’s first priority is her relationship with God. Every day, the Word of God is the first thing that touches her ears. Christian music is often coming from her mouth in a key that is only discernable to dogs and angels. For that reason, her love of the Lord and His Word, and for a few other reasons, I love Heather with all my heart. She is spiritual.

Another thing I see that you may not see, or if you see it, you may not notice…is that Heather is a phenomenal mother. As I was thinking of this aspect of her, my face was flooded with the tears of memory…Heather 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

reminds me so much of my own mother. She has just the right mix of tough and soft…just the right mix of ferocious and determined…just the right mix of practical and dreamer. My mother embodied those qualities, and she poured them into me, and I think it is God’s wonderful sense of compassion to bring friends into our lives that remind us of the people we have loved the most in this life. And when I think of a woman that I have loved with all of my being, it was my Mom. And I am grateful to have Heather in my life to remind me of how deeply I loved my mother and how grateful I am that God picked just the right mother for me, “a mess” though she was. Gracie and Caleb, you are blessed to have a mother like Heather. But that’s not news to you. Both of you know it.

“Big things come in small packages.”

Speaking of big things coming in small packages, there is my dear friend Tony LoGrasso, who is the real star of this conference. I wish I could describe the pain I felt when he told me he had cancer. I can only describe it this way. If my brother had told me the same thing, it would not have hit me as hard as it hit me when Tony told me. I was crushed, but only for a moment. After a short time of licking my wounds, and cursing fate, I knew why our paths had crossed in this life. I would lead the charge of prayer that insisted that God heal him. For those of us who prayed for Tony…insist we did. We went boldly before God and insisted that He give Tony the victory in this situation. And the Sovereign God of the Universe honored our request. Today, Tony is cancer free. The medical community played a role in Tony’s healing, and a vital role to be sure, but the Lord Jesus Christ destined it to happen a billion years ago, and it was His plan that we would be here today to celebrate Tony’s victory.

Tony and I have collaborated on a book that is available for you tonight…a book that chronicles his journey from cancer to cancer free…a book entitled, “If You Have Faith.” Now when I say we collaborated, what I mean is that Tony did most of the work, including getting well, and I get all the credit. This is the foundation of our friendship! ☺

I can remember when I met Tony’s family for the first time…Jennifer, and Olivia, and Noelle. In Jennifer, I saw a woman who was on her man’s side. God has given me just about everything I have wanted in this life…but not that…not yet…not a fiercely loyal intimate partner. Seeing Jennifer’s 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

dedication to Tony gives me hope. Seeing how Jennifer nursed Tony back to good health inspired me on levels that can’t be described, only admired. Its; not that I don’t know that Jennifer has faults. We all do, right? But the true character of a person is revealed based on how they handle adversity. When she could have walked away during this crisis, Jennifer didn’t. For that she has my love and my respect.

When I met the girls, Olivia and Noelle, I felt loved. It was the strangest feeling, because it was instant. Their hugs communicated what they have been taught by Tony and Jennifer…love…acceptance…hospitality… caring…compassion…great lessons to learn at a young age. They were much younger at the time, but I remember telling Tony that I would marry Noelle if it were legal, and that I would offer him eighteen camels for her hand in marriage. Some lucky man, someday is going to win her heart for much less of a price. Olivia…my affection should certainly be no slight to you…for you will be as valued a prize when it is your turn to give your hand in marriage. There’s just something about Olivia and Noelle that I can’t forget, perhaps because family is an area of my life that has been a source of much pain for me. Jennifer and Tony, you are to thank for instilling and living this family value. Tony, your whole family is my family, too.

Then there is my Barah Ministries family. To many, because we are small, we are a cult. That’s because if you love anyone or anything as deeply as we love the Lord Jesus Christ, it has to be a cult. But there’s another requirement for being a cult…there has to be Kool-Aid. Now I must admit, as a black man, I am a fan of Kool-Aid, but I have never offered it in a bible lesson, and it won’t be offered tonight. To all those with minds too small to recognize depth, and intimacy, and love, I say this…“Big things come in small packages.”

It is one Person, and one Person alone who is the Savior of the Word…the Lord Jesus Christ. He chose twelve people, eleven of whom spread the gospel message that we share with you tonight, and their work has permeated the world long after their deaths. So nah nah nah nah boo boo to those of you who think bigger is better. Barah Ministries is a small, tight knit family. And our focus is singular…a desire to have a deep, intimate and personal relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord Jesus Christ. And for those who have been in our midst who were not of the same mind, they have left. And good riddance. 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

Welcome to this celebration of two of my intimate friends. I love you two very much, Heather and Tony, and I am grateful that God saw fit for us to join together in this gathering tonight to demonstrate how much we love each other, and how much we love Him. I am more grateful, that we will be together for all eternity. You doing the work, with me getting the credit.

The thing that binds us is relationship…a relationship with each other and a relationship with our God. That’s what Christianity is…a relationship, not a religion. Let’s hear June Murphy sing about that relationship with a song she wrote…BORN AGAIN.

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

BORN AGAIN

June Murphy

Thank you June…

Thanks to all of you, in fact, for being here when you could be someplace else, spending your time another way. May God’s grace, and His unconditional love, and His peace from an awareness of His total forgiveness of you, be with you in fullest measure…from God the Father, and from His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Sovereign God of the Universe…and from God the Holy Spirit who will make this message understandable to you tonight if you’re paying attention.

Do you know God? What kind of God would He be, if all He did were to judge us by our mistakes? This is most people’s conception of God, and it is a damn lie, totally false, propagated by God’s enemy…Satan.

My specialty as a Pastor is teaching the Word of God from God’s point of view. That should not make me special, but it does. Most people teach what they think God is saying, but it ends up being their misinterpretation of the truth. I have no desire to distort what God has to say to you. The Word of God is truth, and it doesn’t need my interpretation. I don’t care what I think about what the Word of God has to say…I don’t care what you think of what the Word of God has to say…except to the extent that what we both think is 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

an exact match with what God thinks. God gave us the bible so we know exactly what He thinks. The bible is not written by a bunch of guys spouting their opinions…it is the exact thinking of God, written down by men. Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 16 and 17 say this…

SECOND TIMOTHY 3:16

All Scripture is inspired by God (that is, theoneustos, God breathed) and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…

SECOND TIMOTHY 3:17

…so that the man of God may be made mature by God, and may be equipped for every good work.

If the bible is good for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, I’m wondering which of those you need to hear…I’m wondering what brings you here tonight.

Maybe you’re in a marriage that is dead but not buried. This is not the life you had planned for yourself, and you know it is not the life you want to live, but for whatever reason you have sold yourself out and you are settling for less than your highest and best. No judging intended here. You are doing enough of that on your own. I’m just wondering what I can say to alleviate the pain, to encourage you, and to have you leave here tonight knowing that God is working all things together in your life for your good through these trials.

Maybe you lost a loved one recently. I remember the day vividly when my mother went home to be with the Lord. I was so distraught about it…I cried so hard about it…I thought I was going to cough up my liver. The pain took three years to subside. I am encouraged that we can only hurt that much when we love that much.

Maybe you have been separated from your children for a brief period of time. Perhaps it is training for the day when you must let them launch into the world. Nonetheless, their absence illuminates a sad but true fact for you…that you have gotten so close to them that you have forgotten who you are…that you are a separate being from them. By their absence, the Lord 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

has given you an opportunity to remind yourself to develop yourself. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in others that you forget about yourself.

Maybe you are young and you are busy growing a marriage and a family. Maybe you’re wondering why marriage and family didn’t come with a handbook. It actually did…the bible…but the bible’s lessons just seem too simplistic.

Maybe you’re divorced. Be encouraged. Human history exists because of a divorce between the Lord and His bodyguard, Satan…described in Ezekiel 28 as the anointed cherub who covers.

Maybe you’re not married, but there is a child on the way. Maybe you didn’t realize what happens when male and female body parts come together. You loved the feeling. The next thing you know there is a baby. “How did that happen?” you wonder. And you had no idea that the person you “bumped boots” with would use the baby as if it were a pawn in a chess game, strictly for the purpose of hurting you and manipulating you. You hadn’t even considered how much three minutes could change the trajectory of your life, your wallet and your emotions for the next two decades.

Maybe you have kids who are drinking and drugging and you don’t know what to do about it. Deep down inside you know there’s nothing you can do about it. You also know that you are thankful for the fact that it’s their body and not yours that they are abusing. However, their abuse of their bodies is abusing your emotions.

Maybe there are more years behind you than there are in front of you. Maybe your life is filled with regrets…sorrow for the things you did and remorse for the things you wish you had done.

Maybe your life is just starting and you feel invincible. Yet you’re confused. An array of important choices is constantly bombarding you, and the easy escape is to disappear into the fantasy world of your phone. But you secretly know that staring at a phone is not preparing you for the tough world that is waiting to batter you for your lack of preparation. “Oh why didn’t I listen to my parents” will be your too late lament. 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

These are among the things we experience when we get ourselves entangled in the yoke of slavery. It is not the life God intended for us. Did God intend tribulation for our lives? Oh yes. But He also planned for your freedom… Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 1…

GALATIANS 5:1

It was for freedom that Christ set us free…therefore keep standing firm in the freedom and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

God warns us against doing things that rob us of freedom…but we don’t listen. We know better. Our family, our friends, our electronic devices, our vacations, our addictions, our ambitions are always more important than spending time with God, so He can give us a rudder for our lives through the study of His Word.

These are just a few of the things I think about when preparing your spiritual meal. You see, when you are spiritual, you have a cure for all these ills. There is a divine, spiritual solution for the problems we face every day. Being spiritual gives you a break from the trials, especially when you come to hear God’s Word, which offers the divine solutions to our human problems.

Well what does it take to be spiritual?

Let’s take a music break and then we’ll learn some of them. Here’s a song June Murphy wrote to remind us not to condemn ourselves. The song is I AM BEAUTIFUL.

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

I AM BEAUTIFUL

June Murphy

Welcome back…

What does it take to be spiritual? 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

What are the things God wants from you, His creature? What are the things that if you knew them and did them would change the course of your life? As you listen to the things God wants you to know, ask yourself from an objective point of view if you know these things, rather than from the point of view of condemning and guilt tripping yourself. Ask yourself what, if anything, you are missing from these spiritual things.

Here’s a passage that highlights spiritual things…Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 9 to 14…

COLOSSIANS 1:9

Also, for this reason (because Paul heard good reports about the Colossians from Epaphras…a Pastor), since the day we heard (this is Paul talking about himself), we have not ceased to pray (in intercession) for you and to ask (God) that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (which comes through the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit when biblical knowledge is believed)…

COLOSSIANS 1:10

…so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (applying His wisdom to your life), to please Him in all respects (because of His transformation of you), bearing fruit (from the Spirit) in every good work (laid out for you by God) and that you keep on increasing in the knowledge of God the Father…

COLOSSIANS 1:11

…and that you keep on being strengthened with all power (divine omnipotence), according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience…

COLOSSIANS 1:12

… joyously giving thanks to God the Father, who has qualified us believers in Christ to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of the Light (God’s kingdom).

COLOSSIANS 1:13

For God the Father rescued us believers in Christ from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (the Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom of Light)… 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

COLOSSIANS 1:14

…in union with the Christ from whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

What does it take to be spiritual?

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

The Lord wants you to know the truth of your circumstance from the moment of your physical birth.

You were born physically alive and spiritually dead. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 1…

EPHESIANS 2:1

(From the moment of your physical birth)…you were spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins…

Did you know that? Did you know you were born a sinner and you need a Savior? It’s not your fault you were born that way. But it is the truth of your circumstance. God wants you to know that. The consequence of your being born spiritually dead is highlighted in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22…the first part…

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a

For all those born in union with Adam (and that’s everyone) are ALL set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…

When you were a baby, everyone was impressed with you! Yet you were born without a relationship with God, on the wrong side of a barrier, helpless and hopeless to do anything about your spiritually dead condition.

Everyone is born in union with Adam, and the consequence of this problem from physical birth…spiritual death… is that all are set to go to the Lake of Fire. Did you know this is your circumstance? Did you know that you need to be born again…the spiritual birth? Are you saved? Are you sure you are saved or are you questioning whether or not you are saved? There is only clarity in God’s plan…no confusion. 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

The Lord wants you to be saved

Most people think that being saved is performance based…that if you’re “basically a good person,” you can be saved. In fact, many think they can earn salvation by doing good works. Unfortunately there are no good people according to the Word of God...Romans, Chapter 3, Verses 10 and 11…

ROMANS 3:10

“There is no creature who is righteous, not even one…”

ROMANS 3:11

“There is no creature who understands God…there is no creature who seeks a relationship with God…”

Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23…

ROMANS 3:23

…for all creatures have sinned and fall short of the essence of God…

Your salvation is NOT performance-based, in spite of what every religion will tell you. What every religion won’t tell you is that Satan, the enemy of God, is the sponsor of religion…and he uses religion to make you indifferent or antagonistic to God. In fact, he uses religion to deceive you…Revelation, Chapter 12, Verse 9…

REVELATION 12:9

And the great dragon was thrown down (dethroned), the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, WHO DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD…

For example, have you ever thought that God is disappointed with you? It’s one of Satan’s greatest deceptions. Think again. God isn’t disappointed with you. God loves you unconditionally. He won’t ever love you more than He does today. He won’t ever love you less than He does today. He is NEVER disappointed with you. He is never surprised by anything you do. Who you are and what you do are not conditions that affect God’s love for you. He loves you because He IS love…First John, Chapter 4, Verse 8… 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

FIRST JOHN 4:8

The one who does not love unconditionally does not know God the Father, for God the Father IS unconditional love.

God wants your salvation to be important to you…First Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4…

FIRST TIMOTHY 2:3

This is good and acceptable in the sight of the God who is our Savior (the Lord Jesus Christ)…

FIRST TIMOTHY 2:4

…who desires all men to be saved and who desires all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.

John, Chapter 8, Verse 32…

JOHN 8:32

“…and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

After He saves you, the Lord wants you to get to know Him

Do you know who the Lord Jesus Christ is?

The Lord wants you to know Him. One thing He wants you to know about Him is that when you were an unbeliever you were lost…and He came looking for you…because you certainly weren’t looking for Him. Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 4 to 7…

LUKE 15:4

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”

LUKE 15:5

“When he has found the lost sheep, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

LUKE 15:6

“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”

LUKE 15:7

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one

sinner (an unbeliever) who repents (who changes his mind to have a relationship with Christ) than over ninety-nine righteous persons (believers in Christ) who need no repentance.”

God wants you and He is looking for you! Do you want a relationship with Him? The Lord also wants you to know that He is the ONLY way to be saved. John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to doubting Thomas (His apostle), “I am the way (to salvation), and (I am) the truth (through the Word of God), and (I am) the (resurrection) life…and no one comes to God the Father but through believing in Me.”

In Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12 we learn why the Lord is worth getting to know…

ACTS 4:12

“And there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”

Do you know who the Lord is? Could you describe His Person to others as well as you can describe the person of your best friend or relative? Do you want what God wants for your life, that you be saved? And if God knows that we don’t seek Him out, how is it that we can be saved? Here’s June Murphy to sing about it…in the song, YOU RAN AFTER ME.

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

YOU RAN AFTER ME

June Murphy

Welcome back…

What does it take to be spiritual?

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

God wants you to study the Word of God…the bible

How much time do you spend studying the bible? The bible is the Word of God, the exact thinking of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Second Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 20 and 21 say…

SECOND PETER 1:20

…know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own private interpretation…

SECOND PETER 1:21

…for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men carried along by the agency of God the Holy Spirit spoke directly from the exact thinking of THE God (the Lord Jesus Christ).

The bible is not out of date…it is as relevant and as accurate today as it was the day it was written. The bible does not contradict itself. The bible changes the way you think…Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 2…

ROMANS 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but keep on being transformed by God in the renewing of your mind (through the study of the Word of God), so that you may prove what the will of God is…that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

God knows that if you study the bible you will GROW! Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verses 17 and 18… 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

SECOND PETER 3:17

You therefore, beloved (believers in Christ…the divinely loved ones), knowing this beforehand (that the earth will one day end), be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men (false teachers) and so you don’t fall from your own steadfastness…

SECOND PETER 3:18

…but instead grow in the sphere of grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Do you want to grow so that you are able to handle all the challenges of this life?

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

God wants You to Know His Will

Do you know the will of God for your life? What are some things He wills for you? I’ll tell you something that is not in His will for you. It is NOT God’s will that you go to the Lake of Fire (also known as hell). Do you realize that if you end up in the Lake of Fire, it’s because you wanted to go there? Do you realize you will not be there because God wants you there? Do you realize that you will not be there because you did too many things wrong? Among the things the Lord wills for you is that you live with Him forever. Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9…

SECOND PETER 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of, but instead He is patient toward you unbelievers, not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).

Did you know that God wills the highest and the best for you? 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

The Lord wants you to construct a lifestyle filled with character!

Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 1…

EPHESIANS 4:1

Therefore I (Paul), the prisoner of the Lord, implore (beg) you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…

Does your lifestyle reflect God’s character? Notice…God wants you to HAVE character…not to BE a character! When you look at the lifestyle of a true believer, you will see pain, and trial, and suffering and disarray… exactly the opposite of what you might think…why? Romans, Chapter 5, Verses 3 to 5…

ROMANS 5:3

…we believers in Christ exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance…

ROMANS 5:4

…and perseverance brings about proven character…and proven character brings about hope…

ROMANS 5:5

…and hope does not disappoint…because the unconditional love of God the Father has been poured out within our hearts through God the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Is your lifestyle a reflection of your Savior?

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

He wants you to live in right conduct

How you act is a reflection of your thoughts. Are you reflecting the truth you think with your lifestyle? Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 2 and 3… 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

EPHESIANS 4:2

…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in unconditional love…

EPHESIANS 4:3

…being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

It matters to God how we conduct ourselves…it matters to God how we treat people. God wants us to construct a lifestyle that is based on treating ourselves well, treating others well, and treating God well…and then to live it. Do you treat people well? Do you live?

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

God wants you to communicate the gospel message to others

When is the last time you shared the good news with someone…the good news concerning what the Lord Jesus Christ was willing to endure to earn the salvation of all His creatures? First Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 3 to 5….

FIRST PETER 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us believers in Christ to be born again (the spiritual birth) to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

FIRST PETER 1:4

…to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…

FIRST PETER 1:5

…you who are protected by the power of God the Father (divine omnipotence) through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

When is the last time you checked to see if someone important to you is saved? 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

God wants you to do good things

Do you have to work to impress God?

Maybe you have been taught that you have to work to impress God. Well in Psalm 46, Verse 10, the Lord says…not so much…

PSALM 46:10

“Cease striving and know that I am God…I will be exalted among the nations…I will be exalted in the earth.”

God is working for you even when you don’t know…Psalm 127, Verse 2…

PSALM 127:2

It is vain for you to rise up early…and to go to bed late…and to eat the bread of painful labors…for the Lord gives to His beloved (His divinely loved ones) even when they sleep.

God makes it clear to you what He wants you to do…Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 10…

EPHESIANS 2:10

For we believers in Christ are God the Father’s workmanship, created to be in union with Christ Jesus for good works, which God the Father prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Do you come to the Word of God regularly so that God can speak to your soul louder than the distractions do?

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL WHEN YOU KNOW…

God wants you to bear fruit

What do others see when they look at your life? Galatians, Chapter 5, Verses 22 and 23… 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

GALATIANS 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (within yourself), patience, kindness, goodness (toward others), faithfulness…

GALATIANS 5:23

…gentleness, self-control (with God)…against such virtues there is no law.

Notice it is the fruit of the Spirit… fruit singular…not the fruit of you…it is not something you produce or work for…God doesn’t need anything from you except your cooperation with what He is doing for you.

Now back to Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 9 to 14…what are the things that make you spiritual? Can you see this passage differently now?

COLOSSIANS 1:9

Also, for this reason (because Paul heard good reports about the Colossians from Epaphras), since the day we (Paul talking about himself) heard, we have not ceased to pray (in intercession) for you and to ask (God) that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (which comes through the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit when biblical knowledge is believed)…

COLOSSIANS 1:10

COLOSSIANS 1:11

…and that you keep on being strengthened with all power (divine

omnipotence), according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience…

COLOSSIANS 1:12

… joyously giving thanks to God the Father, who has qualified us believers in Christ to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of the Light God’s kingdom). 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

COLOSSIANS 1:13

For God the Father rescued us believers in Christ from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (the Lord Jesus Christ…the Kingdom of Light)…

COLOSSIANS 1:14

…in union with the Christ from whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

In other words…Colossians, Chapter 3, Verse 2…

COLOSSIANS 3:2

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

We would love it if you would study the Word of God with us. You can move to Phoenix or you can study with us on the internet.

We have a book on our website that is downloadable free of charge…

BARAH MINISTRIES E-BOOK

And You Will Be Saved

www.barahministries.com

Publications Tab

We will have a second book on our website that is downloadable free of charge next week…

BARAH MINISTRIES E-BOOK

If You Have Faith

www.barahministries.com

Publications Tab 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

We have forty songs by our Song Worship Leader June Murphy downloadable free of charge. Or you can support June by buying them at iTunes.

BARAH MINISTRIES MUSIC

www.barahministries.com

Music Tab

We have an APP…the Barah Ministries App…so you can put the Word of God in your pocket or purse. Download the app from the iTunes Store or from Google Play or from the Microsoft Store.

BARAH MINISTRIES APP

www.barahministries.com

iTunes Store or Google Play or Microsoft Store

We appreciate financial help.

BARAH MINISTRIES FINANCIAL POLICY

We choose not to charge for the things we provide to help you study the Word of God. We wish to reflect God’s grace. Help yourselves to bibles, to music, to books, to pamphlets, to anything that would help you, a family member, or a friend learn about God. No price appears on any material from Barah Ministries so that anyone who wants to learn about God can do so free of charge.

BARAH MINISTRIES FINANCIAL POLICY

Even though the materials are free of charge, they are not free of cost. We appreciate the financial support you provide which allows us to share the Word of God with the hearers God brings to listen. Please be generous in your support of God’s work through this ministry.

If you’d like to contribute to the ministry, feel free. Pass your contributions along to Tony. 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

A final reminder…

GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

ACTS 16:30

“…the jailer asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

ACTS 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

ACTS 4:12

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given to mankind by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to the apostle Thomas, the doubting one, “I am the way (to salvation), and (I am) the truth (the Word of God), and the (resurrection) life; no one comes to the Father but through believing in Me.”

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life (the resurrection life) right at that moment…but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life, but the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

ACTS 2:21

‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation will be saved.’

CLOSING SONG

WHOSOEVER

June Murphy 2017 MICHIGAN CONFERENCE September 15, 2017

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

www.barahministries.com

THE MICHIGAN BIBLE CONFERENCE

of BARAH MINISTRIES

Join us tomorrow at 10AM for Ask the Pastor…a Discussion in the Park

Rory Clark - Pastor-Teacher

www.barahministries.com

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About Barah Ministries

About Us
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Pastor Rory Clark