The Glory of God Alone Part Two

1. We see in the Scriptures that show God’s Zeal and Love for His Own Glory
2. Jesus warned that not seeking God’s glory makes faith impossible: (John 5:44)
3. Jesus said that he answers prayer that God would be glorified: (John 14:13)
4. Jesus endured his final hours of suffering for God’s glory: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’ (John 12:27-28).Father, the hour has come; glorify your son that the Son may glorify you. (John 17:1; cf. 13:31-32)
5. God gave his Son to vindicate the glory of his righteousness: God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood . . . to show God’s righteousness . . . It was to show his righteousness at the present time. (Romans 3:25-26)
6. God forgives our sins for his own sake: I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)
7. For your own name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. (Psalm 25:11)
8. Jesus receives us into his fellowship for the glory of God: Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7)
9. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son of God: He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:14)
10. God instructs us to do everything for his glory: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (l Corinthians 10:31; cf. 6:20).
11. God tells us to serve in a way that will glorify him: Whoever serves, [let him do it] as one who serves by the strength which God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (l Peter 4:11)
12. Jesus will fill us with fruits of righteousness for God’s glory: It is my prayer that . . . [you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9, 11)
13. All are under judgment for dishonoring God’s glory: They became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images. (Romans 1:22, 23)
14. For all havesinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
15. Herod is struck dead because he did not give glory to God: Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory. (Acts 12:23)
16. Jesus is coming again for the glory of God: They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:9-10)
17. Jesus’ ultimate aim for us is that we see and enjoy his glory: Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24)
18. Even in wrath God’s aim is to make known the wealth of his glory: Desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, [God] has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory. (Romans 9:22-23)
19. God’s plan is to fill the earth with the knowledge of his glory: For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)
20. Everything that happens will redound to God’s glory: From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)
21. In the New Jerusalem the glory of God replaces the sun: And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives its light, and its lamp is the Lamb (Revelation 21:23).

 

Why does God remind us over and over that He makes much of us in a way that is designed ultimately to make much of Him?

The answer is this: Loving us this way is a greater love. God’s love for us, that makes much of us for his glory, is a greater love than if he ended by making us our greatest treasure, rather than himself. Making himself our end is a greater love than making us his end. The reason this is greater love is that self, no matter how glorified by God (Romans 8:30), will never satisfy a heart that is made for God.
God loves his people infinitely. He sent his Son to die that he might have us, and that we might have him (1 Peter 3:18). He will not let us settle for wonderful and happy thoughts of self. Not even a saved, glorified self. He will not let our glory, which he himself creates and delights in, replace his glory as our supreme treasure. That would not be love.
We are loved by God. We are precious to God, and the greatest gift he has for us is to not let our preciousness become our god. God will be our God. God alone, forever. And this is infinite love.
When we experience this love deeply—when we are compelled by this love in everything—God is greatly glorified.
======================================
Why Does God Save Us?
Or we can consider the doctrine of salvation and ask, “Why does God save us?” One might hastily retort, “For his glory.” Again, that is right and critical. But the Bible provides a wide range of reasons. Powerfully and regularly, God himself explains his motive for saving. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave . . .” (cf. 1 John 4:9-10). Ephesians 1:4-5 extols, “In love” God predestined us (cf. Deut. 7), and Ephesians 2:4 ties our salvation to God’s love, mercy, and grace (cf. Titus 3:4-5). John 17 records Jesus’ high priestly prayer, interweaving God’s glory and the good of his people, praying and acting in part, “for their sake” (17:19). Romans 8:28 also makes it clear that redemptive history is, in large part, for the good of God’s people.
So why does God save? For many reasons, but in and through all of them, God displays who he is and thus glorifies himself. God manifests his glory because in saving us he displays his wisdom

1. (Romans. 11:33-36;
2. 1 Corinthians. 1:18-31;
3. Ephesians. 3:10-11), righteousness, justice
4. (Rom. 3:25-26), love, mercy, kindness,
5. (Ephesians. 2:4-7; Romans. 9:20-23), freedom, wrath, and power (Romans. 9:20-23).

 

Romans 1`2:3-8 How Are We To View Our Spiritual Gifts

Romans 12:3-6
How We Are To Think Right About Our Gifts
Charles e Whisnant

Bob Temple at Rivers of Joy Baptist Church June 2014

New Method of Doing Church

Taken June 26, 2014

This booklet must be back in the 1960’s  “Five Things Every Person Ought To Know!  Akron Baptist Temple, In Akron OH where Dr. Dallas F. Billington was the Pastor and Founder.  Dad preached there several times.  And I met his son Charles a few times.

I found this article June 25, 2014 about the church and about the grand son of Dallas.

The Rev. Dallas R. Billington is doing a new thing.
March 28 2014
The third-generation Billington to serve as pastor of the historic Akron Baptist Temple will launch City Church AC (Akron/Canton) Sunday at Musica, 51 E. Market St. in downtown Akron.

“This is me,” said Billington looking around the dimly lighted live music venue. “It’s laid-back, intimate and casual. It’s the perfect place for broken and hurting people to come and find hope.”

The nontraditional surroundings, for the nondenominational church, are completely different from the conventional church setting that Billington grew up in. It will serve as the backdrop for Billington’s mission to reach the unchurched by sharing his personal story of brokenness — the loss of both parents, a divorce after 30 years of marriage, financial struggles and loss of a foster child — and of how God restored him.

“I was losing everything. And I was so angry. I was grieving my parents’ deaths, grieving my marriage, under eviction, came within five minutes of having my electricity turned off, lost a little boy who had been my son for a year and a half and who had given me back my life in the midst of all of my loss,” Billington said. “I was so discouraged. I know that the Lord called me to share his word, but I was too angry to preach.

“But I’m not angry anymore. I’m not discouraged anymore. Now, I can preach again.”

Billington’s decision to preach again is good news to supporters like Jim and Lisa Saxer, of Canal Fulton. The Saxers, both 42, were married 13 years ago by Billington and said they were among numerous people who have encouraged him to start a church over the past several years. The couple served in the children’s ministry at Akron Baptist Temple when Billington was pastor.

“Dallas is called to preach the word of God. He’s so passionate and so on fire about his vision to be a light to people who are hurting and to have a church that is committed to helping make the community better. He believes that the community where we live, work and play needs to be our mission field,” Jim Saxer said.

Lisa Saxer added that “Dallas just has a heart for people, just like his grandfather. He just wants to see people get saved and we’re ready to help him.”

Billington, 57, succeeded his father, the late Rev. Charles Billington as pastor of Akron Baptist Temple, which was founded in 1934 by his father, the late Rev. Dallas F. Billington.

The youngest Billington left the church — one of the nation’s first megachurches, attracting more than 4,000 worshipers in the 1950s — in 2006 and went to Florida to work as an associate pastor alongside a pastor friend.

“I love Akron Baptist Temple. It’s my heritage,” Billington said. “I did everything I could to make sure the church was healthy before I left — to the point that I burned myself out. Leading a megachurch is a lot of work, and when you don’t take time to rest, it can take its toll on you.”

During his tenure, Akron Baptist Temple reduced its debt from $6 million to less than $1 million. The outreach ministry, Always Hope, outgrew its space in one small room and expanded to the entire basement.

New ministries and Bible studies were added, and attendance and offerings increased.

Death, divorce

Billington returned to the Akron area in 2010 and helped care for his ill father. His mother, Sylvia Eileen, who had been his father’s primary caretaker, became ill that same year. His father passed away in 2010, and his mother last year.

As Billington struggled to deal with his grief, his wife of 30 years pursued a divorce, adding more stress and anxiety to his life. But he found some comfort in caring for a 3-year-old boy, whom one of his three adult children asked him to foster.

“I began to see how he was so dependent on me, and the Lord showed me that he takes care of me, just like I was taking care of little Sean. I found so much joy in being his father — I’m still his father. He helped my keep my sanity. This kid gave me my life back,” Billington said. “Then I got a phone call one day, saying his mother wanted him back. I was devastated. I said, ‘Lord, I don’t understand this. I’m angry. I’m not angry at you. I’m just angry, but I’m going to trust you.’

“As I spoke those words, it was like a weight was lifted off me. I wasn’t angry anymore.”

Billington said he continued to get confirmation from God that it was time for him to step out on his faith and share God’s grace with others, especially those dealing with life’s challenges.

Student to help

Andrew Logan, who considers Billington a mentor, said he is excited about City Church and its mission.

A University of Akron graduate currently in his final year of studies for his masters of divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in California, Logan plans to return to Akron this summer to help at the church.

“Dallas has been through so much. He was so broken and down throughout his difficulties. But he held on to the message of grace and came to the realization that the Lord is going to bless us — not because of our actions but because he loves us,” said Logan, 25. “The grace of Jesus Christ is in him and on him, and I believe God is going to work through him to give people hope. He’s an example of how God provides hope, love and grace in the most difficult times of your life.”

The vision of City Church (sites.google.com/site/citychurchac/) is to be light and love to people who are hurting. It is committed to supporting local missions and has identified three organizations to begin with: Akron Pregnancy Services, Emmanuel Christian Academy and Love Akron.

“It’s been a journey. As I look back on this, I wouldn’t change anything that the Lord has done in all of this,” Billington said. “I’m back home in Akron. I’m spiritually healthier than I’ve ever been. The Lord has given me a platform to share his word with a clearer vision of his grace. We’re not here to judge people, we’re here to help them.”
http://www.ohio.com/news/local/former-pastor-at-akron-baptist-temple-launches-new-church-1.476860

Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731

The absence of discernment.

When people ask me what’s the biggest problem in the church? I always say the same thing, the absence of discernment. That is the biggest problem in the church because if you can’t discern the truth with the Word of God in your hand with the Bible in your hand, if you can’t discern the truth, you can die of a thousand heresies. It’s like having spiritual AIDS. People who have a deficient immune system can die of a thousand illnesses. The church can die of a thousand heresies if it can’t exercise discernment. This is always the issue.

And part of the responsibility of ministry is the positive side to instruct with great patience, as Paul said to Timothy. But the other side is to reprove, rebuke, and exhort and use the Word of God to do that. And to exercise discernment is at the very heart of Christian living because Christian living is a reflection of Christian thinking, and Christian thinking must be attached to sound doctrine, and that’s where discernment begins.

God, Glory in Himself Part Two

GOD LOVES HIS GLORY
Researched by Charles e Whisnant
June 21 2014

Verses on God, glory of

1. Ezekiel 1:26-28
2. Exodus 24:15-16
3. Exodus 33:9-10
4. Isaiah 4:5
5. Matthew 17:5
6. Mark 9:7
7. Luke 21:27
8. Luke 9:34
9. Matthew 24:30
10. Mark 13:26
11. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14
12. I Kings 8:10-11
13. Exodus 40:34-35
14. 2 Chronicles 7:1-3
15. Ezekiel 8:4
16. Ezekiel 10:19
17. Ezekiel 43:1-5
18. Revelation 15:8
19. Hebrews 1:3
20. Isaiah 49:3
21. John 1:14
22. John 13:31-32
23. John 17:5
24. 2 Corinthians 4:6
25. 2 Peter 1:17
26. Colossians 1:27
27. Isaiah 60:19-21
28. Isaiah 62:3
29. 2 Corinthians 3:18
30. Ephesians 3:21
31. Isaiah 6:3
32. Numbers 14:21
33. Psalms 57:5
34. Psalms 108:5
35. Habakkuk 2:14
36. Habakkuk 3:3
37. Revelation 21:23
38. Romans 8:17
39. Hebrews 2:9
40. I Peter 5:10
41. Nehemiah 9:5
42. Deuteronomy 28:58
43. I Chronicles 29:13
44. Psalms 8:1
45. Psalms 79:9
46. Psalms 111:3
47. Psalms19:1
48. Isaiah 12:5
49. Isaiah 35:2
50. John 11:40-44
51. John 17:4
52. Psalms 145:11-12

We see in the Scriptures that show God’s Zeal and Love for His Own Glory

1. Jesus warned that not seeking God’s glory makes faith impossible: (John 5:44)
2. Jesus said that he answers prayer that God would be glorified: (John 14:13)
3. Jesus endured his final hours of suffering for God’s glory: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’ (John 12:27-28).Father, the hour has come; glorify your son that the Son may glorify you. (John 17:1; cf. 13:31-32)
4. God gave his Son to vindicate the glory of his righteousness: God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood . . . to show God’s righteousness . . . It was to show his righteousness at the present time. (Romans 3:25-26)
5. God forgives our sins for his own sake: I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)
6. For your own name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. (Psalm 25:11)
7. Jesus receives us into his fellowship for the glory of God: Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7)
8. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son of God: He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:14)
9. God instructs us to do everything for his glory: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (l Corinthians 10:31; cf. 6:20).
10. God tells us to serve in a way that will glorify him: Whoever serves, [let him do it] as one who serves by the strength which God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (l Peter 4:11)
11. Jesus will fill us with fruits of righteousness for God’s glory: It is my prayer that . . . [you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9, 11)
12. All are under judgment for dishonoring God’s glory: They became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images. (Romans 1:22-23
13. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
    Herod is struck dead because he did not give glory to God: Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory. (Acts 12:23)
14. Jesus is coming again for the glory of God: They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:9-10)
15. Jesus’ ultimate aim for us is that we see and enjoy his glory: Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24)
16. Even in wrath God’s aim is to make known the wealth of his glory: Desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, [God] has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory. (Romans 9:22-23)
17. God’s plan is to fill the earth with the knowledge of his glory: For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)
18. Everything that happens will redound to God’s glory: From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)
19. In the New Jerusalem the glory of God replaces the sun: And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives its light, and its lamp is the Lamb (Revelation 21:23).

Why Does God Save Us?
Or we can consider the doctrine of salvation and ask, “Why does God save us?”

1. One might hastily retort, “For his glory.” Again, that is right and critical. But the Bible provides a wide range of reasons.
2. Powerfully and regularly, God himself explains his motive for saving. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave . . .” (cf. 1 John 4:9-10).
3. Ephesians 1:4-5 extols, “In love” God predestined us (cf. Deut. 7), and Ephesians 2:4 ties our salvation to God’s love, mercy, and grace (cf. Titus 3:4-5).
4. John 17 records Jesus’ high priestly prayer, interweaving God’s glory and the good of his people, praying and acting in part, “for their sake” (17:19).
5. Romans 8:28 also makes it clear that redemptive history is, in large part, for the good of God’s people.

 

So why does God save? For many reasons, but in and through all of them, God displays who he is and thus glorifies himself. God manifests his glory because in saving us he displays his wisdom (Rom. 11:33-36; 1 Cor. 1:18-31; Eph. 3:10-11), righteousness, justice (Rom. 3:25-26), love, mercy, kindness, (Eph. 2:4-7; Rom. 9:20-23), freedom, wrath, and power (Rom. 9:20-23).

God Loves His Glory

GOD LOVES HIS GLORY
Researched by Charles e Whisnant
June 22 2014

God’s first commitment is to His own glory and that this is the basis for ours. God does everything for His glory. God’s love for God. Or more precisely, God the Father’s delight in the panorama of His own perfection reflected as a perfect image in His Son.
“Who is the most God-centered person in the universe?” ______________________
Why is it important to be stunned by the God-centeredness of God? Isaiah 2:22; Psalms 146:3; Jeremiah 17:5; Isaiah 40:15, and 17. Ezekiel 36:22-23, 32

Why did God predestine us in love to be His sons? Ephesians 1:6, 12 and 14.

Why did God create a people for Himself? Isaiah 43:7

Why did He make from one lump vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor? Romans 9:22-23, Exodus 14:4, Exodus 9:16

“Do all to the glory of God” First Corinthians 10:31

What is the foundation of his command?
God loves His glory. He loves it with infinite energy and passion and commitment. And the Spirit of God is ablaze with this love. That is why children of God love the glory of God; they are led by this blazing Spirit. Romans 8:14.

VERSES ON THE GLORY OF GOD

1. Psalms 29:3 Richard
2. John 11:40 Bill
3. Acts 7:2 Mary
4. Revelation 19:1 Frankie
5. Habakkuk 3:4 Lois
6. Deuteronomy 5:24 Jimmy
7. 2 Samuel 22:8-16 Serina
8. Psalms 18:7-15 Janet
9. Psalms 104:1 Dorothy
10. Ezekiel 1:26-28 Peggy
11. Exodus 24:15-16 Saundra
12. Exodus 33:9-10 Bob

Here are a few examples of what I mean by God’s performing all his acts of love toward us in a way that reveals he is loving us for his own glory:

1. God loves us by predestining us for adoption into his family (Ephesians 1:5–6).
2. God loves us by creating us (Isaiah 43:6–7).
3. God shows his love for us by sending us a Savior (Luke 2:10–14).
4. God loves us by Christ’s dying for us (2 Corinthians 5:14–15).
5. God loves us by making us spiritually alive (Ephesians 2:4–7).
6. God loves us in the way Jesus prays for us (John 17:24).

We see in the Scriptures that show God’s Zeal and Love for His Own Glory

1. God chose his people for his glory: Ephesians 1:4-6
2. God created us for his glory: (Isaiah 43:6-7)
3. God called Israel for his glory: (Isaiah 49:3) (Jeremiah 13:11)
4. God rescued Israel from Egypt for his glory: (Psalm 106:7-8)
5. God raised Pharaoh up to show his power and glorify his name: (Romans 9:17)
6. God defeated Pharaoh at the Red Sea to show his glory:(Exodus 14:4, 18; cf. v. 17)
7. God spared Israel in the wilderness for the glory of his name. (Ezekiel 20:l4)
8. God spared Israel in the wilderness for the glory of his name. (Ezekiel 20:l4)
9. God gave Israel victory in Canaan for the glory of his name:(2 Samuel 7:23)
10. God did not cast away his people for the glory of his name (l Samuel 12:20, 22)
11. God saved Jerusalem from attack for the glory of his name: (2 Kings 19:34; cf. 20:6)
12. God restored Israel from exile for the glory of his name: (Ezekiel 36:22-23; cf. v. 32)
13. Jesus sought the glory of his Father in all he did: (John 7:l8)

Why does God remind us over and over that He makes much of us in a way that is designed ultimately to make much of Him?

God often acts with multiple ends in mind. The book of Exodus presents God’s reasons for deliverance in a multifaceted way:

1. Concern for his oppressed people (3-4)
2. Faithfulness to the covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (3:15; 4:5; 6:8; 32:13; 34:6; cf. Deut. 7:6-10)
3. That Israel would serve the Lord (4:23; 6:5; etc.)
4. That you should know I am the LORD (6:7; 10:2; 13:1f)
5. To give the promised land (6:8)
6. That the Egyptians will know I am the LORD (7:5; 14:3-4; 14:15-18)
7. That Pharaoh will know the LORD as incomparable (7:17; 8:10-18)
8. To display his power (9:16)
9. That his name might be proclaimed in all the earth (9:16)

So God delivered his people for a variety of reasons, not merely one. The incomparable God acts out of love, holiness, goodness, faithfulness, and jealousy. This is critical to notice because if we equate God’s ultimate end with God’s comprehensive motivation, we end up subsuming his attributes under his glory.

To Know Our Current Spiritual Condition

Once the prodigal son came to himself, and took a survey of his own condition, he was quickly brought to acknowledge his unworthiness. He remembered how he got into his current condition. His heart longed to know the mercy of God upon his sinfulness. This is the key to repentance that results in been born again, and knowing the mercy and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father.

 

When we come to know just how we have denied a holy God is right into our lives we quickly are humbled and turn to Him for forgiveness.

What we learn about our selves, it would make us rely only on free grace, when we consider how much God requires, and how little we perform.  We would say with David in Psalms 71:16  “I will go in the strength of the LORD, I will make mention of thy righteousness, of thine only. “

Rivers of Joy Baptist Church Minford, Ohio

 

Wednesday Night June 18 2014

Stay Thirsty My Friend