Bethel Christian Center

Escaping from Egypt is only the first half of the exodus. There is the freedom from: from oppression, and from the power of sin. This aspect of liberation, as wonderful as it is, is only half the deal. In the Scriptures, more emphasis is placed on the freedom for: for worship, for flourishing, for growth in obedience, joy and glory. Human beings are not designed to be free from all constraint. Everybody serves somebody. So, the point of the exodus is not just for Israel to find deliverance from serving the old master. It is for them to find delight in serving the new one.

In last week’s study, we looked at the first step to freedom is recognizing areas where we are imprisoned. Understand, where there is a problem, hope begins with acknowledging the problem. Then, Christian freedom is being free from guilt, the power of sin, the wrath of God and the tyranny of Satan. We also examined the source of true freedom: (1) Truth, Jesus is truth; (2) then Son of God; true freedom comes only from a relationship with Jesus Christ; (3) the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us, “where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.” Then we need to understand that God gives us the free will to either accept or reject this freedom.

All liberty is precious, but political and physical freedom, are freedoms merely of the second order. Freedom of the first order is spiritual freedom, and this is transcendent. Superior Today, many people are living in spiritual slavery without realizing it. They chase false gods of money, success, personal comfort and romantic love—only to realize they still have an emptiness that can’t be filled by any of those things. In John 8, Jesus tells us in precise detail, how to be free.

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty! Jesus came out of the tomb, victorious over death and the grave. The same supernatural power that raised Christ from the dead is the same resurrection power that He wants to work in our life every single day. His power in our lives enables us to live a productive life. Christ conquered sin in our lives. The area of your Christian life where you're struggling does not need to be a struggle anymore.

We are dealing with arguably the biggest crisis in most of our lifetimes. The Corona virus is spreading rapidly throughout the nation, state and right here in Durham. Many have lost their jobs and are worried about how they are going to make ends meet. These circumstances can lead to worry, anxiety and yes fear. We know that the scriptures have a lot to tell us about fear and we have seen many posts on social media reminding us not to fear. Some say that not to feat is mentioned 365 times in the Bible. However, we as believers are not immune to dealing with worry and fear during such extraordinary times. With all the reminders on social media and the many scriptures on fear, we can feel like defeated Christians if we have worry and fear in times like these. God is not afraid of your fear.

British historian Herbert Butterfield of the University of Cambridge, wrote, “Sometimes it is only by a cataclysm that man can make his escape from the net which he has taken so much trouble to weave around himself.” He goes on to say, “sheer grimness of suffering brings men sometimes into a profounder understanding of human destiny.” Robert Nicholson of San Jose State University wrote, “Sometimes the most important ingredient for spiritual renewal is a cataclysmic event.” In writing an article on “A Coronavirus Great Awakening?” he continues, “Today the world faces a moment of cataclysm. The pandemic has remade everyday life and wrecked the global economy in a way that feels apocalyptic. So, I ask the question, could a plague of biblical proportion be America’s best hope for religious revival? Let us look at the means for a great awakening and the healing of our land.

The God who created the universe left His fingerprints everywhere! Creation sings of her Creator! Creation’s song is so loud and clear that the apostle Paul would write that we have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:19–20 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

In a culture that is changing, there are some areas where the church should not! There are some things that should be non-negotiables when it comes to our faith. We have heard that the topic of the blood of Christ, the Cross and hell should be avoided. Therefore, some churches are choosing not to display a cross. Unfortunately, the idea of the Altar, and more specifically the Altar call has become less and less common in the church of America. This morning we will take a look at the Altar of the Old Testament and the Altar call of the church today.

As is true in most of the prophets, Zephaniah’s writings has three components: 1) the pronouncement of specific and often universal judgement for sin; 2) an appeal for repentance because God is righteous and willing to forgive; 3) a promise that the remnant who have made God their refuge will be saved. God, upon their repentance, bids Judah to sing, to shout, to rejoice with all their hearts. And God joins in the celebration. In jubilation God sings and dances and shouts for joy as He tells them of His love (3:14-17). Zephaniah gives us three characteristics Of those to whom verse 17 applies: if you are calling on Him and seeking to serve Him v. 9, If your pride has been broken and you have come to Him humbly seeking forgiveness vs. 11-12, if you are growing in holiness by obeying His commands v. 13.

Isaiah 54:1-3 opens with a paradoxical command: "Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing. ... For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations." The irony here is that no one would direct a despairing reject to sing. In ancient Israel, a woman without children was disenfranchised, suspect of spiritual unworthiness and potentially subject to divorce. Yet the prophet commands the woman to sing and, incredibly, directs her to start preparing a nursery for there are babies (plural) coming! (See verses 2-5.) A tapestry of joy is prophesied, complete with promises of widespread fruit and joyous consequences flowing from the midst of the singer's song. The distinctive thing about Isaiah's words is that the song he calls for is not a joyous response to an impending birth. The song declares the promise and sets the atmosphere for its fulfillment! -Jack Hayford

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Do you need a breakthrough? If so, you’re not alone. We all have seasons when we’ve sown the seed of God’s Word, tended it with faith and patience; and we know that harvest time is here. We perceive in our spirits that our “due season” (Galatians 6:9) has come and it’s time for us to be enjoying the fruit of our faith, moving on to new phases of God’s plan for our lives.

Todd brings an on-time and challenging message of eternity, and the choice we need to make today!

Against all odds, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah was victorious against a formidable enemy. The king winning the battle with God's help is not unusual for the nation of Israel. The method by which the battle was won is quite unusual and presents lessons that we may glean from today.

"Few believers understand the power of song. Worship is not just a 'warm-up' to the sermon. Singing opens the way for an increase of the Holy Spirit’s overflow in us, as well as an unfolding of discernment regarding His will in our lives. Song is a powerful instrument because it is so basic to worship. When it is worked out in the experience of our daily life, it becomes a manifestly powerful means of sustenance, triumph, creativity, deliverance and ongoing growth and development in the way of the Lord." ~Jack Hayford

We are meant to move mountains - to see the impossible occur through the exercise of faith in the omnipotent promises of our sovereign Lord. If we are not seeing mountains move, we are living beneath our means. We are living as paupers when we have millions in our heavenly bank account. Jon Bloom https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/you-are-meant-to-move-mountains

This is the first song recorded in the Bible, and not only is this the first song in the Bible, it is also by some hundreds of years the first recorded song in human history; it's a song of salvation. Moses leads and all Israel echoes. The deliverance of the Israelites and the defeat of the Egyptians is the occasion for the song.

Every few years, churches jump into the latest evangelistic fad. Leaders administrate the new program, and members go on a raid. But picture a church where evangelism is simply a part of the culture. Leaders share their faith consistently and openly. Members follow, encouraging one another to make evangelism an ongoing way life. Evangelism is more than a program. J Mack Stiles, How the whole church speaks Jesus. Evangelism is simply telling the good news of Jesus come to save sinners.

Jesus Christ is without doubt the most influential name ever spoken throughout human history. Even the skeptic H.G. Wells acknowledged that to list the most significant people in the history of the world, Jesus Christ must top such a list. There is undoubtedly something incredible about a character whose name is commonly spoken on a daily basis in nearly every culture, all around the world, 2000 years after He lived.

The first Christmas gifts were not by chance, and depict he reality of God and the gospel message by their very essence and selection. God is seeking to save the lost, and spares no attention to detail in His Holy Word, even through multiple fulfillments and symbols. Have you trusted in the Good God. He is our object of worship and worthy of all gifts this Christmas. Thanks and some inspirational credit to Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfPomQcheLs