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Self-righteousness; it's everywhere The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise.. (Psalm 51:17). Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: God I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:10-14). Self-righteousness is the conviction that one is better than others--morally, spiritually, and theologically. It is the spurious view that one is not like other people. Self-righteous people always think they speak as outsiders of the human race. Five facts you need to know about self-righteousness: (1) It's subtle; you don't know it when you've got it. (2) It's incremental; It never starts out as self-righteousness but as something positive and good. (3) It's addictive; people love to point a critical finger at the mistakes of others, and brag about themselves. (4) It's indiscriminate; once you see it, it's everywhere and not just in religious folks. And (5) It's terribly destructive. Note! The tax collector did not think of himself as one sinner among many, but as the sinner who was unworthy of anything from God. Jesus said the tax collector went home justified. That means he received forgiveness, and redemption. May I say, the Lord Jesus reminds us in this parable, that it is a spirit of repentance, and self-humiliation, not a critical or judgmental spirit that is acceptable to God. Have you ever wondered child of God, why most of our evangelistic efforts are ineffective? Could it be that un-believers see us as angry, condemning, uptight, judgmental, self-righteous twits. I believe that the reasons we can't forgive and why they are divisions among us, is because of the sin of self-righteousness. And this after God tells us in His Word; there is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10) and that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Self-righteousness destroys relationships, and makes genuine love impossible. It makes it impossible to love those who aren't Christians and impossible to love those who are. God will forgive and restore the believer who has been over taken by a judgmental spirit. If that believer will acknowledge his sin and ask the Lord for the grace to repent. O thank God for His all sufficient grace. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you. Amen. In His grip, Mel. THE BEREAN NOTEPAD

The Meaning Of Christmas Christmas is a celebration of the historic moment when God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ for the purpose of redeeming sinful man. The Christmas story begins not in a manger, but in the garden of Eden. There, God initiated a genealogical line through Adam and Eve that would remain unbroken, throughout centuries of slavery, famine, and turbulence, ultimately leading to the Messiah. Meanwhile, God begin preparing the world for Christ's arrival. Roman conquests placed men like Caesar Augustus in charge; his call for a census served God's purposes by leading Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, where the birth of the Messiah had been prophesied. (Micah 5:2) Rome's influence also led to a network of roads, which would eventually allow Paul and others to travel the then known world preaching the Gospel. God arranged all of this so that at just the right time, Jesus Christ could arrive on earth as a baby who would grow up to be our Savior, dying for mankind's sins. Child of God, we cannot allow ourselves to drift into a materialistic view of Christmas along with the rest of the world. In a month of colored lights and glowing candles, we should be burning brighter than ever as His lights to the world. You think about that. THE BEREAN NOTEPAD

PSALM 100:1-5 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. The Lord should be praised and worshiped joyfully. Notice! He is Sovereign, He is the Creator, and those who trust Him are His possession. They follow Him, for they are the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. God's people need to praise the Lord for His goodness, love, and faithfulness. These blessings endure from generation to generation. Every generation of believers are called to express their feelings of gratitude and praise to God. Worship is central in the Christian life; Christ is central to worship; joy is the right attitude to bring to worship, and a fuller knowledge of Christ is the expected result of worship. May I say acceptable worship is based on God's Sovereignty and centers on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 4:24 that we are to "worship in spirit and truth." To worship in spirit means to worship from a consecrated heart, a heart that is committed to Christ. To worship in truth means to worship honestly and biblically, with our worship focused on Christ who is The Truth. May we be encouraged to worship the Lord with gladness; to enter His presence with thanksgiving; for He alone is worthy of our worship.

Measure Your Obedience Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you. (Deuteronomy 6:18) It's easy to talk about obedience in general terms; but when it really comes down to it, where do we stand? Are we obedient children or disobedient children? Do we take God at His Word or just play the game? 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, contains as many as twenty five separate commands, each given for our good. Why not turn that chapter into a test to measure your obedience. Ask yourself: Am I honoring the leaders at my church (v. 12)? Contributing to the unity of my church (v. 13)? Warning the unruly (v. 14)? Being patient with everyone (v. 14)? Refusing to get even with those who hurt me (v. 15)? Rejoicing always (v. 16)? Praying without ceasing (v. 17)? Giving thanks in all circumstances (v. 18)? Abstaining from every form of evil (v. 22)? Vance Havner once said, "If we are professors of His Name without being partners of His nature, we are hypocrites." You think about that.

What exactly does the apostle Paul mean in the phrase, "when He ascended up on high He led captivity captive...." (Eph. 4:8) whom did our Lord lead captive? THE BEREAN NOTEPAD Touching lives with the truth of God's Word.

A puppet is controlled by others, a master controls others. A puppet acts according to its strings that are pulled. A master pulls the strings. Without realizing it, many people liken God to a puppet. For example, they say God wants to save sinners, (and He does), but the sinner must let Him. In other words, that God as a puppet acts according to the strings that the sinner pulls. I am convinced and convicted that God is Master and not a puppet. [And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou?] (Dan. 4:35) Beloved, If God wants to do something and cannot do it; then He is not doing according to His will, but according to the will of others, or those that pull the strings. [For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.] (Luke 19:10) It was our Savior

4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6) 3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years (Genesis 6:3) My question is this; is it possible to sin away the day of grace? THE BEREAN NOTEPAD

Many Evangelical churches teach that while water baptism does not save, it is a testimony to salvation. My question is... where in Scripture does it say "SPECIFICALLY" that water baptism is a testimony to salvation? THE BEREAN NOTEPAD

In 1John 5:16 the Bible says there is "A sin unto death". My question is this; What is the sin unto death? THE BEREAN NOTEPAD

Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak, for they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home; for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. [1Cor.14:34-35] If there had never been a commentary printed, if you had never heard a message preached on the subject, if no one had ever advised you, if you only had your Bible to read, how would you interpret the above scripture?

MAN

A Time to be Drunk Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine (New Wine)." Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! ACTS 2:13-15. To paraphrase (People as a rule do not get drunk and party at nine in the morning). May I say a good sign that the Holy Spirit is working in your life, is when there is rejoicing at the wrong time. When everything seems to be going badly and you celebrate God's grace. When all the odds seem to be against you and you laugh and dance. When you should be bitter and hateful according to your view of things and instead you love your enemies. My friend that is evidence of the Spirit's work in your life. Let me encourage you to rejoice and praise your Heavenly Father now. Trust Him to make all things right. Thank Him for His great gift of salvation. For His promise to never leave nor forsake you. For the truth that He saves to the uttermost. That there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. That He has wrapped you in the perfect righteousness of His Dear Son. That your sins are forgiven. We have so much to thank Him for. My prayer child of God; Is that we will get to know the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, and becoming like Him in His death. For this my friend; Is the joy of the New Wine.

Greather love has no man than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends....... No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I call you friends,.... John 15:13,15 George Elliot wrote, "Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a friend, having neither to weight thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness blow the rest away." Jesus says, "I want to be your friend." The Berean Notepad

Road to Destruction That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ROMANS 10:9 What happens when a society rejects the Gospel? When Nazi Germany rejected the moral restrain of Christianity, the weak, defenseless, poor, sick, mentally ill, outcast and six million Jews were killed. Ancient Greece wanted to rid the society of all deformed children. Cultures without a love for the Gospel invent their own ideas of an ideal state and follow a path of destruction. It was the Gospel that overcame infanticide and abortion in the ancient world. May I say the Gospel brings life, not only for eternity, but here on earth. Spread the Gospel and you can bring life to a society otherwise on a road to destruction. The Gospel saves lives; it changes lives, and changes cultures. What happens when society rejects the Gospel? We have only to study history and look at what is happening around us today. Allow God to use you to make a difference. It starts by your sharing with a friend, a neighbor, a family member. Bring the life-giving message of hope and salvation, because lives really do depend on it. APPLICATION: Write a letter about God

Magnifying Yourself? Mavet is the Hebrew word for death. Dying to self leads to life and joy. Many believers are not happy with themselves at all. They struggle with low self-esteem, with their faults, their weaknesses, their hypocrisies and all the sin in their life, past and present. That