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Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Pressure Illustrations

Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Pressure



Edmond Church Family,

Hope you're having a great week!

We got an Instant Pot for Christmas. It’s great, you can cook frozen chicken in a matter of minutes, and it’s edible! I even eat something called Quinoa cooked in this modern multi-cooker, and it actually tastes good.

The Instant Pot looks like a reinforced crockpot with a bomb timer slapped on the front of it. Evidently, it cooks using extremely high pressure. When the timer goes off, and the food is done, we release the pressure valve and watch as a steady flow of steam spews into the air. Without removing the pressure, opening the pot would be disastrous.

It appears that some of us are like Instant Pots right now. After a long year of uncertainty and unforeseen challenges, there seems to be a lot of pressure building up.

Many of us are just holding it all in and may not even know it. Unless we have a healthy and safe way to release the pressure, sooner or later we will explode. Maybe you’ve been there recently.

You lose your patience with a store clerk.

You rant and rave about something unimportant. 

You explode at your spouse or child.

You feel a wave of road rage wash over you.

You burst into tears.

You scream and yell. Or just the opposite, you shut down emotionally.

You say things you later regret.

You react impulsively. 

While you may feel better in that instant (see what I did there?), your actions and words cause damage. Relationships suffer. People get hurt. Unity and progress are impeded. Damage is done.

Maybe right now is a good time for an honest self-assessment. How are you doing…how are you really doing? 

Do you feel overly stressed? Are you allowing challenges and adversity to gnaw at you? Are people getting under your skin? Is there a chance you are stuffing all the anxiety and uncertainty of a challenging year or a difficult situation deep inside as you try to keep moving forward?  

Sooner or later—unless you deal with the sources and symptoms of your stress and find a safe way to release the building pressure—you’re going to explode. 

Before you say or do something harmful, please do something helpful. 

Talk to a trusted friend or counselor. Pray, fast, and participate in other spiritual disciplines. Get moving and get some sleep. Build in Sabbath rest. But most of all, lean on God.

A short verse in the passage I plan to preach on this Sunday as we conclude our “Exiles” series tells us, very simply, what to do with all that pressure, all that stress and all that frustration: 

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

In one short inspired verse of scripture we are told what to do and why to do it. Recognize the pressure building up inside you and the burden of stress you are carrying, and let go of it. All of it.

More specifically, give it to God. Let him take it off your shoulders and out of your heart, and let Him replace it with healing and hope.

Cast your anxiety on him. That’s the what, but even more notably, here’s the why: “…because he cares for you.” 

God cares deeply for you. He cares that you are carrying what feels like the weight of the world. He cares that you are going through a tough time. God cares that you are hurting, or grieving or struggling. He cares that you have experienced great loss or that you can’t seem to catch a break.

He hurts with you and cares for you. 

God wants to carry what is weighing you down. Jesus already bore your greatest burden when he willingly went to the cross. He removed the sins that separate you from God.

Not only is God’s care for you unmatched, his strength is unequaled. No burden you are trying to carry is too heavy for him. So give it to him, and leave it with him. Don’t take it back. You can trust God.

Letting pressure continue to build will only result in a destructive explosion. God wants to help you, so just let him. 

Hope you’ll join us for worship Sunday.
Grace & Peace,
Randy 


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2 Corinthians 9:7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
2 Corinthians 11:28 - And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Proverbs 24:10 If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.
Psalms 32:4 (MSG) The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.
Psalms 32:5 (MSG) Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll come clean about my failures to God .” Suddenly the pressure was gone— my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
Judges 20:45 (MSG) Five divisions turned to escape to the wilderness, to Rimmon Rock, but the Israelites caught and slaughtered them on roads. Keeping the pressure on, the Israelites brought down two more divisions.
Revelation 2:13 (MSG) “I see where you live, right under the shadow of Satan’s throne. But you continue boldly in my Name; you never once denied my Name, even when the pressure was worst, when they martyred Antipas, my witness who stayed faithful to me on Satan’s turf.
James 1:2 Trials and Temptations Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
Romans 5:3 And not only this, but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance;
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Logos Dictionary Themes
A state of personal anxiety, strain or tension resulting from the pressures of human life. 
But God cannot ignore sin and will not. He brings pressure upon us, often very acute pressure, until we acknowledge the sin, confess it, and return to him. --James Montgomery Boice

You Think About It!
Kevin Rayner


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Thursday, August 24, 2023

Reconciliation Illustrations

Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Reconciliation

Four-eyes
A South American minnow-like fish is called "four eyes" because it knows how to make the best of two worlds.

God designed its large bulging eyes with an air lens on the upper half and a water lens on the lower half. As it cruises along the surface of the water, it is able to look at the world above and the world below.

APPLICATION: In a sense, Christians must be like this little fish. As we go through life, we need to look above to heaven and also below to the world around us. The heavenward look enables us to focus on what God says is true and right, and the earthward look helps us see opportunities to demonstrate Christlike compassion to people who are entangled in sin.

Reconciliation With God
Topic
Subtopic
Scripture
Predicted

Dan_9:24; Isa_53:5;
Proclaimed by angels at the birth of Christ

Luk_2:14;
Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances is necessary to

Eph_2:16; Col_2:14;



EFFECTED FOR MEN



By God in Christ
2 Co_5:19;

By Christ as High Priest
Heb_2:17;

By the death of Christ
Rom_5:10; Eph_2:16; Col_1:21; Col_1:22;

By the blood of Christ
Eph_2:13; Col_1:20;

While alienated from God
Col_1:21;

Without strength
Rom_5:6;

Yet sinners
Rom_5:8;

While enemies to God
Rom_5:10;

The ministry of committed to ministers
2Co_5:18; 2Co_5:19;

Ministers, in Christ's stead, should beseech men to seek
2Co_5:20;



EFFECTS OF



Peace of God
Rom_5:1; Eph_2:16; Eph_2:17;

Access to God
Rom_5:2; Eph_2:18;

Union of Jews and Gentiles
Eph_2:14;

Union of things in heaven and earth
Col_1:20; Eph_1:10;



A pledge of final salvation

Rom_5:10;
Necessity for-Illustrated

Mat_5:24-26;
Typified

Lev_8:15; Lev_16:20;









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The restoration of fellowship between God and humanity and the resulting restoration of human relationships. The NT affirms that the reconciliation of the world to God is only possible on the basis of the work of Jesus Christ.

reconciliation, of the world to God

On account of sin, people are alienated from God and cut off from fellowship with him. Through Jesus Christ, God reconciles the world to himself, breaking down the barriers of hostility and estrangement.

A broken relationship through sin brings alienation from God
Isa 59:2 See also Ge 3:23-24 the expulsion from Eden; Ge 4:13-14 Cain’s alienation from God; Isa 48:22; 64:7; Jer 33:5; Lk 18:13 the tax collector’s prayer for mercy; Ro 5:10; 8:7; Eph 2:1-3,12; 4:18; Col 1:21; Jas 4:4

God takes the initiative in bringing about reconciliation
2Co 5:18-19 See also Ro 5:6-8; Gal 4:4-5; Eph 2:4-5; 1Jn 4:10

The means of reconciliation is the death of Jesus Christ
Ro 5:6 See also 2Co 5:18-19,21; Eph 2:13,16; Col 1:20

The results of reconciliation are both personal and universal
Peace with God Ro 5:1 See also Ac 10:36-46; Eph 2:14-19; Col 1:21-22

Access to God Ro 5:2 See also Eph 2:18; 3:12; Heb 10:19-22

Adoption as God’s children Ro 8:15-16; Gal 3:26; 4:4-6; 1Jn 3:1-2

Peacemaking throughout the universe Col 1:20 See also Ro 11:15; Eph 1:7-10,22-23

Believers are to be the ambassadors of reconciliation
2Co 5:18-20


reconciliation, between believers

True reconciliation between people is only possible after they have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Believers are urged to settle differences among themselves in brotherly love.

The cause of the breakdown in relationships is sin
Ge 27:41
The division between Joseph and his brothers: Ge 37:4-5,18-20
1Sa 15:12-14 Samuel and Saul; 2Sa 14:28 Absalom and David; Ac 15:37-40 Paul and Barnabas; Gal 2:11 Paul opposes Peter

Believers should be reconciled to one another
Mt 5:23-24 See also Mt 5:9,25 pp Lk 12:58; Mt 5:44; 18:15-17,21-35; Jn 17:20-23; Ro 12:18-21; 2Th 3:14-15

The death of Jesus Christ should bring believers together in peace
Eph 2:14-22

The church should display reconciliation
Col 3:12-15 See also Ro 12:18-21; Eph 4:32; 2Th 3:14-15

Examples of reconciliation between people
Ge 33:4 See also Ge 45:1-5 Joseph and his brothers; Jos 22:10-34 Israel, Reuben and Gad; Lk 23:12 Herod and Pilate; Jn 21:15-17 Jesus Christ and Peter; Ac 9:26-28 Paul and the apostles; 1Co 7:11 a wife and her husband



You Think About It!
Kevin Rayner


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Thursday, March 06, 2014

The Power To Overcome

The Power To Overcome
—Douglas F. Parsons

I remember as a kid watching a movie in which a huckster went from town to town with a huge rattlesnake in a glass cage. The man would cover the glass with a blanket and walk into the local saloon and would bet the toughest, bravest man in town would not be able to hold his hand against the glass without jerking it back when the rattlesnake struck. When the citizens chose their challenger the huckster tore the blanket off to reveal the biggest, most menacing, evil-eyed reptile ever seen by man. Annoyed by the light and noise, the snake coiled to strike, his rattles buzzing nervously. The toughest, bravest man would break out in a cold sweat. But prodded by the expectation of his friends, he moved his hand toward the glass. The snake coiled even tighter. Slowly the man inched his hand toward the glass and finally touched it. As he did, the snake struck with fury. And reflexively, the toughest, bravest man jerked his hand away. The huckster had won again.

Why? Because no matter how big and brave and tough the men were, the threat of that striking reptile through the invisible glass was a fearsome thing. The only thing between them and certain death was a thin pane of glass.

I have often thought what a great metaphor that scenario was for spiritual warfare. The snake is Satan and the forces of evil. The glass is Jesus. As long as we stay on the right side of the glass, we have nothing to fear. Of course, if we go sticking our hand inside the box, there is plenty of danger. But for those on the safe side of the glass, for those who live a life of faith and obedience to Christ, there is nothing to fear. The only ones terrorized by the evil inside the cage are those who do not trust the glass to keep them safe, or those who stick their hands inside the glass.

There are two important things we must understand about spiritual warfare: first, there is real danger on the wrong side of the glass; and second, we are safe on the right side of the glass, no matter how fearful things appear. But what does that mean? It means we must submit to God in all things and resist the devil (James 4:7).

One of the keys to winning spiritual warfare is "to know when to hold'em and when to fold'em." We need to fight when we should fight, and flee when we should flee. Do you want to run away from your financial obligations? Stand and fight. Are you trying to grow spiritually? Stand and fight. Is it hard to improve family relationships? Stand and fight. Are you tempted to toy with a relationship that isn't Christ-centered? Flee. Are you tempted to buy something you can't afford? Flee. Are you tempted to put together a deal that isn't totally honest? Flee.

Resist the efforts of Satan to accuse you and bury you with guilt. Be on guard against his wiles. Recognize them. And stand firm against him in the strength God provides.

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