Burbank Faith Today: May 16, 2017

Women’s Bible Study at Burbank Faith. (Diane Leone is behind the camera)–The Ladies are in Amos tonight.

Sunday Services: 10:30 AM
505 South Sixth St. Burbank, CA
91501

FaithView, For Storm Riders:
“When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”—Joshua 2:11

This is Rahab sharing with the spies who came into Jericho before Joshua and the army attacked.

There is no previous account in the first or second chapters of Joshua that says the spies threatened Rahab. There’s no indication of them intimidating her or giving her an ultimatum. Instead, we see the reputation of the spies had preceded them.

Better put, the reputation of the God of the spies had preceded them. Rahab says that inside the walls of the great fortified city of Jericho courage had failed and hearts melted.

That’s powerful.

It’s one of my favorite Scriptures because the Lord says to Joshua, in chapter one, “Be strong and courageous.”

What we often forget—because we do such a marvelous job of beating ourselves up and hero worshipping those who seem to have in ‘all-together’—as believers, is that the enemy is afraid of us. Terrified. As believers living right and seeking a holy life in the Lord, we bring the Lord into every situation we face.

We do.

Maybe you’ve experienced it before, maybe you haven’t, but as we continually to seek the Lord an uncommon strength will be built up inside of us. It won’t reveal itself, necessarily, in an ability to memorize and quote scripture at will. It won’t be manifested by the power to bring fire out of the sky. It won’t be demonstrated in some perfect existence where life is all cake, ice cream, smiles and joy.

The uncommon strength that comes as a result of holy living will be put on display by the power that comes from you. We often use the expression, “Wow, she really lights up a room.” That’s who we are when we walk with God.

A time will come when we have to testify with our mouth, but the initial testimony will be seen in the strength that resides in us. The ability to find good in all situations, the ability to praise God through trial, the ability provide hope to the hopeless.

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”—1 Corinthians 3:16-17

(By any chance did you hear a cannon blast after reading that passage? Because it is loud.)

God’s spirit lives in you. And if God’s spirit is living and abiding in you the enemy will fear you. Those enemies that are not of flesh and blood but living the spiritual realms we can’t see. The spirits that possess and oppress those that we love…They fear you because of who you belong to.

Humbleness is a grand trait. We all need humbleness. However, when facing the enemy that comes to steal and kill—I want to intimidate that enemy. I want that enemy’s heart to melt and courage to fail. I want it to know that it made a mistake by attacking me, my family and my church.

The most powerful force on earth is a believer seeking holiness and going forward in the name of Jesus. Yeah, that Jesus…the one that raises and has been raised from the dead.

We can describe it in softer terms like leaning on the everlasting arms, safe and secure from all alarm…All beautiful and true.

Or we can describe it and live it in the very correct description of:

“In heavenly armour we’ll enter the land
The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that’s fashioned against us shall stand
The battle belongs to the Lord.”—Petra

Or…

“And he said, ‘Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’”—2 Chronicles 20:15

You are not meant to be passive…You are not meant to shrink back and be destroyed…The spirit of the Lord that dwells in you compels the enemy to flee…All you/we have to do is submit–daily–to the Lord who gives us victory.

Boom!
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A VBS Unlike Any Other:

VBS Goes to Rome: The theme for Vacation Bible School this year is “Rome: Paul & The Underground Church”

VBS Staff Meeting This Sunday: 1:30 PM

The dates are June 26-30…Look at your calendar…share with your friends…Pray for Seana Zilbert, who is directing…Make plans to volunteer.

You can sign up your child and their friends here on our website. Look the button up top, click, and follow.

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Burbank Faith now has a Twitter account. You can follow us at; @BurbankFaithNaz

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Eric Canto has created a Burbank Faith channel on YouTube and has placed all of our recent services there. Go check it out.

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July is Camps Month: Remember July is camps month…Junior High, High School & Kids will all have separate camps at Granite Ridge.

District Assembly is July 12-14
(It is one month later this year due to General Assembly (Indianapolis) being held June 21-30.)

SrHi Camp: July 16-21
Kids Camp: July 23-28
JrHi Camp: July 30-August 4

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Did You Know?
On this date:

…In 1540, German reformer Martin Luther remarked: ‘In the worst temptations nothing can help us but faith that God’s Son has put on flesh, is bone, sits at the right hand of the Father, and prays for us. There is no mightier comfort.’

…In 1920, popular Baptist pastor and denominational leader George Washington Truett, 53, preached his famous sermon, “Baptists and Religious Liberty,” to 15,000 people from the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C.

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Church Calendar:
May 16 Women’s Bible Study—7:00 PM
May 17:
All Church Prayer Time: 7—to—7:30 PM
Worship Team Practices: 7:30 PM
Adult Bible Study—1 Samuel 18—7:30 PM May 21: VBS planning meeting, following morning worship.
May 21: Mother’s Day Sunday Service, 10:30 AM…Sunday evening “Prayer Hour” from 6-to-7:00 PM
May 21: VBS meeting after church (1:30)
May 29: Memorial Day
June 3: Men’s Breakfast at Harry’s, 8:00 AM
June 26-30: VBS Week

As believers, we have to remain in continual prayer for all of our first responders…all our leaders…not a political party but for those carrying the heavy burden of leadership in our country and communities.

 

 

 

 

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