Hello All,

Here is the bulletin for this week. Happy Valentine’s Day.

• PDF Bulletin FFC February 14 2016

There is a coming day of reckoning for every person on the planet. Everything wrong will be made right. God will perfectly judge. Those who have trusted in Christ will be embraced by God beyond our comprehension. Those who refused to accept God’s offer of life will face a horror and an anguish beyond their comprehension.

In today’s text James confronts the oppressive rich with this impending day of doom. The Old and New Testament prophets call this day the day of the Lord.

• The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives (Joel 2:31 NLT).

• Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD (Malachi 4:5 NASB95).

James calls the oppressive rich to “weep and wail.” Or ESV to “weep and howl.”

• Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you (James 5:1 NIV84).

In view of the oppression and God’s subsequent judgment, James calls his brothers and sisters in Christ to patience.

We must always see the injustice and unfairness and cruelty of this world in view of a coming judgment. We take assurance in this. This helps us to stay the course and put aside our own ideas of justice and vengeance.

I want to see no one face this terrible judgment. No matter how awful they are, no matter how hurtful they have been to me or to the poor and disadvantaged of this world. But I do take comfort and strength that God will bring this about. I believe that living in view of God’s perfect justice we will be able to remain faithful and honoring to him in all aspects of our lives.

I think that this is important in the presidential election year. No matter how much we feel defrauded and cheated and lied to and oppressed by rich, powerful politicians, we trust God to be God.

Can we do that? The Church of Jesus Christ I am speaking to. Can we trust God to be God and honor him and his word in everything?

Be patient, brothers and sisters. There is a coming judgment. One day absolutely everything will be in God’s perfect order. But not now. For now we continue to believe and trust God and find our peace in his will be done. For now we stay the course in love and devotion to Christ, and in obedience to his word of truth.

Message Title: The Coming Miseries of the Oppressive Rich!

Message Text: James 5:1-7a.

AUDIO:

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SS / LESSON 5 / God’s Word Study

AUDIO:

Sorry. No good news this week. James takes on the role of Old Testament prophet and blasts the oppressive rich–those who have defrauded and crushed the poor.

There really is no good news in this section. No call to repentance or confession of sin. No hope held out. No olive branch, peace treaty or truce even. Just a withering condemnation toward those who would choose personal wealth over the well-being of their fellow humans.

Here is the text:

• (James 5:1–6 ESV) ¹ Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. ² Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. ⁴ Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. ⁵ You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

No resolution. Only condemnation. So what do we take from this? What good might come from such an unusual text? It is like the prophet Nahum has snuck into the letter of James.

• (Nahum 1:1–6 ESV) ¹ An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh. ² The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. ³ The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. ⁴ He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. ⁵ The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. ⁶ Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

Questions_____________________________

• To whom is James preaching? Was this intended for believers? Non-believers? What lessons might we learn? Is it wrong to be rich?

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Message Title: The Coming Miseries of the Oppressive Rich!

Message Text: James 5:1-6

• PDF LESSON 12 : The Miseries of the Oppressive Rich : James 5-1-6 : ffc : dave scott : 020716 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 12 : The Miseries of the Oppressive Rich : James 5-1-6 : ffc : dave scott : 020716 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Hi Everyone,

Here is this week’s bulletin.

• PDF Bulletin FFC February 7 2016

Do we believe God for tomorrow?

• Do we live our lives before a Sovereign Lord? Do we believe that our existence on this Earth for even one more day depends on this Sovereign Lord?
• My initial question for this week’s study was, How does this section connect with the previous? Today’s text is a familiar text where we find James comparing our lives to a mere vapor or a mist, James directing us to the famous “if the Lord wills” mantra, James speaking of the sin of omission, etc.
• No theological hurdles really to speak of. Just the question … how does it fit? How does it connect in the flow of his letter?
• Earlier in his writing James told us why we, even as believers in Jesus Christ, sometimes fight and quarrel. And there is our connection.
• Basically, we fight and quarrel because we don’t get our own way. My agenda against your agenda. My will against your will.
• But what about God’s will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven? What if we made more of an effort to consult God in our decision-making process? As in, for real, God would be the one setting the agenda and determining our priorities? Is that possible? Could God do such a thing?
• What might happen if we actually began to believe in and trust an all-powerful, all-wise, all-knowing Master who loves us with an everlasting love?

Message Title: “If the Lord Wills!”

Message Text: James 4:13-17

AUDIO

• (James 4:17 ESV) So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

We are familiar with that verse, aren’t we? If you are like me, you possibly have referred to it many times.

But here is my question: Is there a particular sin here? Is there something specific to the text that James is addressing? I believe that there is. My point is not that the verse cannot be used in a more general way as is commonly done, but that there is a very specific application in the flow of the context of this letter.

Message Title: “If the Lord Wills!”

Message Text: James 4:13-17

• PDF LESSON 11 : If the Lord Will! : James 4-13-17 : ffc : dave scott : 013116 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 11 : If the Lord Will! : James 4-13-17 : ffc : dave scott : 013116 : STUDY SHEET TWO

• Dr. Donald Chittick Lectures on Creationism. See Dave about getting a FREE CD. Excellent lectures on creationism. The information is very helpful and encouraging. Dr. Chittick is an excellent communicator. Nine lectures; about nine hours.

• 1 Beliefs of Scientists – 46:01 / 2 Question of Origins – 53:40 / 3 Creation and Early Earth – 53:02 / 4 The Fall and Flood – 53:35 / 5 Genesis and Geology – 56:12 / 6 The Bible and Time – 1:00:00 / 7 Questions and Answers – 48:52 / 8 Ancient Man – 1:07:29 / Dinosaurs – 56:17

• Web Site — http://www.creationcompass.com/

• Donald E. Chittick holds a Ph. D. in Physical chemistry from Oregon State University, and has taught at the University of Puget Sound and George Fox College. A contributor to several books and periodicals, he has lectured on the creation / evolution topic throughout the past two decades, both in the United States and abroad. As an inventor, he holds several U.S. and foreign patents and is active in the area of alternative fuels.

• At the side of many successful men there is a good woman. Donna is always there for Dr. Don.  At each meeting Donna can be found sitting quietly in the back of the church giving Dr. Don the prayer and support which makes his ministry so successful.

• For more than thirty years, the Lord has granted the Chitticks the privilege of serving Him in the area of showing the total accuracy of the Holy Bible. Their ministry has centered around Bible and science questions, especially those related to the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis.

• At first, Dr. Chittick lectured on creation/evolution topics on the side while he was employed full time as a university professor. Then the ministry opportunities grew rapidly. In 1980, Dr. Chittick resigned his full-time teaching position and began with the help of his wife, Donna, to devote full time to giving seminars.

• The Puzzle of Ancient Man (New 3rd Edition!) by Donald E. Chittick, PhD $15.00. Popular culture has led us to believe that ancient man was primitive, originating from primates and steadily improving through a process of time and chance. But, does that agree with reality? What does the evidence left behind from past cultures tell us? Was ancient man simple and primitive as we have been taught, or did the level of science and technology existing thousands of years ago rival, or even surpass, the level of ours today in the 21st century?

  In this updated edition, Dr. Chittick examines more details of technology, evidence of ancient machine power, and optical technology possessed by ancient people. Come and examine with Dr. Chittick what the facts say about ancient man that have long gone unnoticed and often times ignored by today’s secular culture.

More Info Donald Chittick from Christian Answers …

http://christiananswers.net/creation/people/chittick-d.html

• Creationist
• Physical chemist
• Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Oregon State University (1960)
• B.S. from Willamette University, Salem, Oregon (1954)
• Author of The Puzzle of Ancient Man and The Controversy: Roots of the Creation-Evolution Conflict
• Awards include Outstanding Educators of America, American Men and Women of Science, “Who’s Who in the West”
• Holds several U.S. and foreign patents
• Member: American Chemical Society
• Seminar speaker on origins topics
• Formerly associate professor of chemistry at the University of Puget Sound
• Formerly chairman of the division of Natural Sciences at George Fox University in Oregon
• Adjunct professor of chemistry at the Institute for Creation Research (since 1988)

Hello,

Here is this week’s bulletin.

• PDF Bulletin FFC January 31 2016

SUNDAY SCHOOL:

LESSON 3: God’s Word: Learn It, Live It, Love It!

Preface continued->Chapter 1

MP3: 

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MORNING WORSHIP:

Message Title: Draw Near to God, You Sinners!

Message Text: James 4:7-12

MP3: 

SUNDAY SCHOOL

LESSON 2: God’s Word: Learn It, Live It, Love It.

MP3:

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MORNING WORSHIP

MP3:

Message Title: When I Am Weak!

Message Text: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

INTRODUCTION: By whose perception of life do we live?

• What reality is our reality?
• Albert Einstein is quoted as saying:“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
• Stephen Hawking belongs to the camp of physicists who believe that reality exists “out there” as a material fact, but he concedes, as did Einstein before him, that science doesn’t claim to know what reality is.
• Every human on the planet has an intuitive perception of reality, an idea of life that seems right to him or her but ends in death. Everyone.
• This is how we operate without divine intervention.
• I want us to look at a particular reality this morning, not with our intuitive perception, not with our idea of life that seems right, but a look at reality directed by the divine word of truth.
• I want us to examine a concept presented in Scripture, which according to the natural perception of humans, God must have upside down.
• Our subject for discussion? When I am weak, then I am strong.

—>Please turn with me to 2 Corinthians 12:1.

1. We need a glorious vision to serve a glorious God, 12:1-6.

2. We need the beatings and torments of this life to fulfill our glorious vision of service, 12:7-8.

3. We need to own our weaknesses to fulfill our glorious vision of service, 12:9-10.

CONCLUSION: Are we ready to believe God?

• Are we ready to believe in his glory?
• Are we ready to believe in his glorious vision for our church?