Praise God for those of you who LOVE to study the Word of God.  Due to the demand, we have included additional Bible studies on our “Bibles Study” page.

•  Pour Me
•  Preventing Spiritual Drift Part I
•  Preventing Spiritual Drift Part II
• Slowing Down to Grow
• Rekindling Your Fire for God
•  Put to the Test

All Bibles studies were created in PDF format for easy printing and modifying.

Happy Study!- MFSMBC

John, Jesus, and the Wilderness: Mark 1

Mark 1:4-13

The wilderness breaks people. Over and over in the Old Testament, the wilderness is symbolic of those times when God’s people were at their lowest or where their relationship with God suffered its greatest blow. When Elijah reached the depths of his own depression and anxiety about his future, he put himself out to pasture – he goes to the wilderness to die. Over and over the prophets and psalmists warn God’s people against doing what their forefathers did when they rebelled in the wilderness. And the ultimate example of this theme: after their consistent rebellion during the exodus, God turned his people back into the wilderness until an entire generation was dead and gone. God’s people struggle in the wilderness, they rebel in the wilderness, they die in the wilderness.

But then there came a voice. This one came crying from the wilderness saying the Messiah was on his way. This voice – the voice of John the Baptist – set up his ministry in the middle of the wilderness. What this voice did was baptize people for the cleansing of their sins. And what is more, “All the country of Judah and Jerusalem” went out to the wilderness to be baptized (Mark 1:5).

John’s baptism was unique in its day. Instead of a baptism of initiation into a religion, it was a baptism of repentance for those who already belonged. John’s baptism is a baptism of discipleship. It is powerfully symbolic that John the Baptist drew God’s people out to the wilderness – the location of their greatest failure and rebellion – to be forgiven of their sins and have their hearts and minds turned back to God. The repentance is not just symbolic, it is obvious. John’s sermon was clear, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).

During this brief story of Mark’s, the scene turns from the masses lined up east of the Jordan to a single man. Jesus traveled to the wilderness to be baptized by John. Why was Jesus baptized? Even John knew who needed to baptize whom, but Jesus persisted (Matt. 3:14-15). Jesus obviously did not need to repent and turn back to God like the masses did, but he was baptized just like they were.

I think the bottom line is that Jesus was baptized because I need to be. He was baptized not for his sin but mine, not for his impending judgment, but mine. Even when I turn my heart and mind back to God, I will, soon enough, fail and need to be “baptized” again. Jesus has no such weaknesses and was baptized once and for all for my sins.

At his baptism, the Spirit of God descends and rests “in” Jesus and God’s voice completes the circle of Trinitarian activity. Those witnessing this event know God is fully and completely present in this Jesus. And then an interesting move. Instead of sending Jesus into Judah with the masses in tow, the Spirit has a different task for the Messiah.

“The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” (vs. 12)

The same Spirit that was part of the beauty and glory of the baptism is the driving force behind his forty days in the wilderness.

Mark wants us to know something about what is happening now that Jesus is here. John the Baptist came in the wilderness baptizing people for the cleansing of their sins, but even John knew it was just a washing of the outside. Then the Messiah is himself baptized in the wilderness, and driven even further into the desert to be tempted by the enemy – and ultimately, to defeat him. Jesus exited the wilderness victorious.

That thing that overwhelms me 100% of the time, that nature that is constantly at my side separating me from my God, has been defeated by the Messiah. In Christ, the wilderness no longer needs to break me.

Posted by Phil Steiger at 1:58 PM

Come One- Come ALL!

For MFSMBC’s Youth Picnic

To Halloran Park On Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The park is in the center of the following intersections:

W. 117th, Cooley Avenue, W. 120th, and Linnet Avenue intersections). 

See you there!

MFSMBC

1. Admit your problem. The starting point for developing self-control is to face what God has already said about me: I am responsible for my behavior.

James 1:14 (PH) says, “A man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which can be enormously attractive.”

Do you realize what that says? It says you do things because you like to do them! When I do something I know is bad for me, I still do it because I like to do it. I want to do it; it’s an inner desire.
Do you want more self-control? Admit you have a problem and be specific about it. Begin praying specifically about your problem areas.
2. Put your past behind you. Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV) says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal ….”
This verse exposes a misconception that will keep you from gaining self-control: Once a failure, always a failure.
Failure in the past does not mean you’ll never be able to change. Focusing on past failures, however, does guarantee their repetition. It’s like driving a car and looking in the rearview mirror the whole time. You’re going to collide with what’s ahead of you.
Ask God to help you put your past behind you.
 
Be blessed, Pamelia Tyree-Carr (Womenofdestiny01@hotmail.com)

““Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). No matter what the situation may be if it is on your job, if it’s in your home, in your finances, in your health, in your ministry what ever the situation is, you can rest assured that you can still have peace. Jesus said that the peace he gives us is not like the world, the definition of peace is the absence of war or other hostilities. The peace that Jesus gives supplies strength and comfort for every situation. For every time a situation arises and cause uncertainty, fear, and doubt to make us troubled and afraid; the peace of God moves into our hearts and lives to bring under control these intimidating forces and causes comfort in the place of conflict. Anything that causes fear, worry, and anxiety is not of God, because God has promised us love, power and a sound mind. Jesus said “don’t let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid,” don’t meditate on the situation but instead begin to speak God’s peace into every situation. Therefore, no matter what surrounds you today choose to live in peace….   Prayer: Father we love you and adore you, we lift you up above every problem; every situation and we speak your peace into our lives. Lord you are Jehovah Shalom the God of peace create wholeness in our lives, nothing missing nothing broken, and cause your peace to rule in our hearts we pray this in the mighty name of Jesus the Christ amen.

Courtesy of Evangelist Marion Lawrence (SHFM)

 

“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).

 

What are you speaking? Have you said something that you wish you could take back if you are constantly speaking negative about everything and everybody if you are always putting yourself and others down, if you are always complaining about everything, gossiping and backbiting this is a sure sign that you need to be reprogrammed, refurbished, and renewed?

 

Our bodies are a lot like computers what ever you put on the hard drive shows up on the monitor, and what ever you put into your heart comes out of your mouth. We have to renew our minds and fill our heart with the word of God fill your heart with his promises, faith, and love, and in closing remember “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”

 

Prayer:

 

Father we love you and honor you, we bless your holy name. Lord we ask that you would cleanse our hearts and mind of everything that is not like you, every unclean thought, and every unclean motive anything that is not like you, anything that don’t bring glory to your name we ask that you would remove it and fill us Lord with your love, hope, peace, and joy in the Name of Jesus the Christ we pray amen. 

Courtesy of Marion Lawrence (SHFM)

Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment.  There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren’t contaminated by their sins. Jude 1:22-23   Unbelievers, no matter how successful they may seem by worldly standards are lost and in need of salvation. We should not take witnessing lightly; it is a matter of life and death. If we saw someone about to be burned in a fire we would quickly pull them out of harms way. That is the same way we are to feel toward people we see that is wavering, that is lost.   The same mercy that the Lord showed us we should show someone else. Mercy is undeserved favor you can earn it, you can’t buy it is just given. As believers trying to rescue those deceived people who have been blinded, be careful not to become contaminated by falling into temptation. Remain faithful to God and to his word.

Marion Lawrence (SHFM)

 Summer Reading Program K thru 12 in Cleveland, OH 

 

Enroll your young person in Mt. Moriah’s Summer Reading Program!

Hello Family,

Just a reminder- Please add the following event to you June and July calendars.