(909) 335-9024
1015 W. Colton Ave
Redlands, CA 92374
Rate $99.00
Free Complimentary Breakfast
Group Name: Hope Center E Group

Country Inn & Suites

(909) 792-7913
1650 Industrial Park Ave
Redlands, CA 92374
Rate $89.00
Free Complimentary Breakfast
Group Name: E Group

Comfort Inn

(909) 335-9988
1230 W Colton Ave
Redlands, CA 92374
Rate $89.00
Group Name: E Group

The quotation found in the title comes, of course, from the heavenly pronouncement which Jesus received just after he had been baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. The full text is: “You are (Mt ‘This is”) my beloved son, with you (Mt. “him’) I am well pleased”. This has been a familiar text to me for many years. But recently, a strange thought occurred to me- I hesitate to credit this thought to the Holy Spirit, but whatever the source, this study is the result of it. The thought is this: why this strong statement of approval, when Jesus has not yet begun his ministry? Soon he will be preaching the gospel to the poor, casting out demons, healing the sick and raising the dead but so far, be hasn’t done any of these things. So why this heavenly approval? I believe we can reach some tentative conclusions, at least, by careful examination of the few traditions which have a bearing on this matter, and by filling in a few gaps by “inferential exegesis”! Or maybe I should just invent a new methodology- “guessegesis”! Hmmm. Now that I reflect back on some of the sermons I’ve heard, perhaps it’s not so new after all! Anyway, what I hope will come out of this study is new insights into the life of Jesus, our great example not just in his ministry and atoning death, but even before he entered into public life.

We find the story of the visit of the family of Jesus to Jerusalem in Luke 2:41-52. They came and departed in a large group likely neighbors, friends and kinfolk. After the Feast of Passover, Jesus parents return home but discover after a day’s travel that no one in the group knows where he is. The return to Jerusalem requires another day of travel, and on the third day they finally locate him, engaged in theological discussion with the teachers in the temple. We might wish for more detail in this brief account, but I see no need to resort to unwarranted reconstructions which suggest that Jesus has prematurely begun his ministry and now must be reined in by his parents, or that he is practicing for his ministry by ripping apart all of the arguments of the rabbis! Instead, Luke records that those who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers”, indicating that he was both a ready listener and a deep thinker who was able to respond to what he heard with insightful questions. In other words, his parents (and the by-standers!) realize for perhaps the first time how hungry Jesus is for theological discourse and how much potential he has for serious study.

Indeed, Mary remembers him as growing in both stature and wisdom, and finding favor with God and men (Luke 2:52). We might even hypothesize that Jesus aptitude and willingness to learn brought him to the notice of one or more of the scribes in Jerusalem when he was brought to them to be prepared on this visit for formal entry into the religious community next year when he would be thirteen. Perhaps this could explain where Jesus ate and slept when he was separated from his family for two nights and three days; a scribe might have offered lodging to this exceptional student who was so eager to learn. Such a reception would account for the statement that he had found “favor with men”. Perhaps Jesus even hoped that his parents would notice his potential and allow him to remain in Jerusalem until they returned the following year.

But it was not to be. Understandably worried and upset, Mary gently chides her son for the concern he has caused her and Joseph. Jesus gives an enigmatic reply: they should have anticipated that he, now twelve years old and on the threshold of manhood, would need to be “among the (plural article- “things”?) of my Father”. Many versions of the Bible have “in my Father’s house” and this translation certainly does reflect the setting in which Jesus is found. But the words can also be an expression from the heart of Jesus that he belongs not just in that place, but in the context of learning with the spiritual leaders of the nation as he prepares for the work of his Father. And so his parents realize that a separation between them and Jesus is beginning to appear. The concerns of his heavenly Father now exist in tension with his filial responsibilities to his earthly parents. Nevertheless, “he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them’.

Just why did Jesus return home with his parents? The text, of course, doesn’t say, but we may find a clue later on in Matthew 13:53-58, the passage that features the well-known saying “only in his own hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor”. This passage also provides a rare glimpse into Jesus’ family by naming his brothers (James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas) and further asking “aren’t all his sisters with us”? More than one sister is obviously indicated, and two would probably be indicated by “both”, so I don’t think it’s unreasonable to read into this “all” that Jesus had at least three sisters, as well as four brothers. And John provides another helpful note near the end of his gospel when he recalls Jesus entrusting his mother into the care of his favorite disciple, John. Obviously, by this time Joseph is deceased; not surprising at a time when women (girls, really) were often betrothed to men who were twice their age, and when the average lifespan of a male was approximately 30 years.

Now for some simple calculations. If we put the age of Mary when she was betrothed to Joseph at a conservative 16, and that of Joseph at 30 (though in the Protoevangelium or Book of James, written about 150, Joseph is said to be an old man when he is betrothed to Mary); and if Mary has one child every two years on the average, then by the time that Jesus was twelve, there could easily be four or five children at home. As the oldest, Jesus assistance in carpentry or some other trade would certainly be needed to help support this large family. Now let’s suppose that Joseph lived to the age of fifty. Jesus would then be about twenty, and if he was followed in birth by one or two sisters, they could be in their middle teens by this time. Even so, it’s unlikely that more than two would be married yet, leaving at least five children still at home, not counting Jesus, Finally, let’s suppose that the last of the seven children born after Jesus was a female, and let’s further suppose that she became betrothed to a man at the age of sixteen, like her mother had. Using the two year average, Jesus would be about 14 or 15 years of age when his last sister enters the family, and when she is betrothed sixteen years later and no longer needs support at home, Jesus would be 30 or 31 years of age, corresponding exactly to Luke 3:23 “now Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry”.

By now, it’s not hard to see why Jesus waited so long to begin his ministry. Perhaps that conversation in the temple really went something like this. Jesus: “didn’t you know I must be about my Father’s business”? Mary: “Yes and your father’s business is carpentry! So come on home and get busy! We have hungry mouths to feed.”

So Jesus is basically stuck at home, helping provide for his younger brothers and sisters. We can only imagine how difficult it was to see the education for which he had so much promise, pass him by. And what of all the energy, the potential, of his late teen years and the decade of his twenties-all spent at home! And then the final straw. Just as the last of his siblings was reaching the age of marriage or (if male) financial independence, his cousin John (the Baptist) steals his thunder by suddenly appearing from the wilderness before Jesus can leave home and begin his ministry!

But of course I’m reacting from my perspective: Jesus conducted himself quite otherwise. I can only stand in awe as I watch this man, confined so long at home in a backwater village of Galilee, finally leave his home– not to begin his own ministry, but to support by a public gesture the ministry of someone else! Someone, I might add, with far less potential than his own. Moreover, he took the risk of being misunderstood, since supporting John meant being baptized with the baptism of repentance though he was without sin and didn’t need to repent. Obviously, personal issues were less important to him than taking a public stand in agreement with John’s message, and so provide encouragement to John as he faced the opposition of the Pharisees.

What are we to make of all this? Here’s how it looks to me. Remember when Jesus taught that if while we are bringing a gift to God we remember that we have a problem with someone else, we should leave the gift at the altar and go and make every attempt to be reconciled with that other person’? Then and only then are we to return to the place of worship. This principle makes me nervous– people before God? But we’ve already seen in the prophets that God doesn’t want our fasts and festivals when our fellow humans are being deprived of justice. I must conclude therefore that we serve God best when we show His love and mercy to those around us.

In putting this principle into practice, Jesus first shows us the importance of respect for authority. We all play many roles during life some by birth and hence relationship to others. We are given other roles through employment, still others by marriage. These roles make society possible. We choose public servants from among ourselves and then give them authority over us so that they can carry out duties in behalf of the rest of us: catching crooks, administrating a city, county or state. When respect for authority is gone, they can’t do their jobs well and soon chaos results.

I believe we learn (or fail to learn) respect for authority at home, the place where we first encounter authority figures. By respecting his parents, Jesus contributed to a harmonious family life and gave a good witness to his community. Everyone knows everyone else in a small town, and so when his ministry did begin, the integrity of his personal life demonstrated that his teachings were not just empty words. In the end, his mother repaid his fidelity to her by a lifelong support of him. She was there to offer her encouragement at the cross, she was among the believers when the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, and I believe her continuing presence as an eyewitness in. the Christian community was a crucial factor in the historical accuracy of the gospel of Luke.

Jesus next shows us the importance of providing for those in need. How many times have we heard of this family or that marriage which has suffered because of neglect due to someone’s zealous commitment to the ministry? But once again, the example of Jesus reminds us that our testimony begins at home– often the most difficult place to be a Christian!

This is not an easy issue for me to work through. My heart goes out to anyone who has the hunger and potential for study, and I hate to see that potential go unfulfilled. So when I weigh in one hand the brothers and the sisters of Jesus– especially the sisters, destined in that society for early marriage, little if any education– and place in the other hand the development of Jesus’ academic potential for the enhancement of his ministry which shall eventually lead to the salvation of the world, Jesus’ choice seems incredible to me! And yet, did he have to have a Ph.D. to die on the cross? And weren’t his sisters the very kind of people he came to save? How logical is it to neglect those related to us so that we can proclaim the love of God to strangers?
A thought comes to me at this point. We don’t always receive a vision or a prophecy directing us to the God’s call for our lives, but we often view the talents and abilities God gives us by birth as one way of discerning God’s purposes for us. So then, why not also view the home which we are given as the place where our ministry, our service to Him can begin?

How did this turn out for Jesus? Well, at least two of his brothers later became Christians, and we have the books of James and Jude from them. We have no information on his sisters, but it’s likely that as they married and joined the network of women in their community, they would be a source of affirmation for their brother when he began his ministry. No wonder then that Luke tells us that women came to hear him this person so different from the rabbis who generally refused even to speak to a woman in public. And coming to hear, they were touched by his message, healed of diseases, freed of demons (seven in the case of Mary Magdalene), and expressed their gratitude by financially supporting his ministry, (Luke 8:1-3). The bread he had cast upon the waters for so long had now come back to him in the time of his need!

And while I’m on this subject, I’d like to pause briefly and point out the significance of the private life of Jesus for our times today when so much theology is being written from a feminist perspective. Then, as now, actions spoke louder than words. And what could be more eloquent than the choice of Jesus to put his ministry on hold for at least a decade so that he could help provide for women, even though they had comparatively little value in his society. Even today, we still have a long way to go in taking this part of Jesus’ message to the cultures of our world.

Finally, Jesus put the ministry of another before his own. John, we are told, did no miracles while Jesus performed many. John never cast out a demon, nor promised to rise from the dead and return to judge the earth. Yet Jesus put him first. And what was the result? John felt affirmed, something we all need now and then. But that’s not all. In putting the attention on John, Jesus received back what he was giving. John proclaimed him the one who was to come, And even while undergoing the baptism he didn’t need, Jesus emerged from the water to receive the filling of the Spirit he did need. And then the heavenly pronouncement of commendation, which brings us full circle.

Now you must not think that I am suggesting that it’s best to delay a call to ministry or that Jesus did all these things for the benefits I’ve indicated. I’m concluding rather that ministry should be viewed as service, and that ministry has already begun when we address the needs of those around us, even our family members. A public ministry may have a formal name, address, staff and many other things, but in the last analysis, I believe it still ought to be the sharing of God’s love to our world by both word and deed.

The little evidence left to us suggests that Jesus began this servant lifestyle long before he entered into public life. We all know that he is our great example, and now through this reconstruction which I feel is reasonably sound we have a model to help us when we have to relate to parents, kinfolk and perhaps even some in the ministry who seem to compete with us, hold us back, or distract us from our full potential. I would respond that in following the example of Jesus we can feel secure in ministering faithfully in little things, knowing that in due time. God will enlarge the sphere of our service for Him.

Day  1 – Friday September 25th, 2009

This year’s E Group Meeting started with a trip to Azusa Street in Los Angeles, CA. After meeting at the Hope Center, we headed to downtown LA where Azusa Street Revival have been sparked.

Our first stop was at Edward S. Lee’s house where William J. Seymour held prayer and Bible study meetings. Unfortunately the house was not preserved so we were not able to see this historic place. From there we headed to Bonnie Brea House in which this early Apostolic movement in our modern history started to experience growth and have church services and people started to receive the the gift of the Holy Ghost. Today the house on 214 North Bonnie Brae Street, Los Angeles, CA is preserved as a private museum. Next stop is the 312 Azusa Street, Los Angeles. In this location stood the Apostolic Faith Mission Church led by Rev. William J. Seymour where hundreds and thousands of people experienced and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We have concluded the Azusa Street revival tour after visiting the Rev. William J. Seymour’s grave and the  Apostolic Faith Mission camp site.

E Group’s fist session of meetings started on Friday evening at Hope Center, Redlands, CA. Rev. B.J. Wilmoth after making his introductory comments has asked us introduce ourselves. Following the introductions we have started a fervent prayer session.

After Rev. B.J. Wilmoth’s preaching, the Spirit of God moved on all of us. We had more fervent prayer following the preaching. The next speaker of the night was Rev. Myles Young. His message on the word of God have resonated in our minds as well as our spirits. After the prayer and the alter service we were dismissed for dinner and fellowship.

Very hospitable and gracious people of Hope Center have already prepared us a delicious dinner and organized the fellowship hall for all of us young men to eat and fellowship. It was a perfect setting and many of us have created new friendships.

Day  2 – Saturday  September 26th, 2009

In the morning on Saturday our day sessions started with a prayer and getting in tune with God.  Rev. Jonathan Shoemake preached to us on the important and necessity of prayer as well as what a young minister ought to do. Prayer broke after the preaching and rejuvenated us.

Rev. Kevin Bradford preached the closing message of the E Group 2009 meeting. After the prayer and the alter service we were invited to have lunch at the fellowship hall. Following the lunch and fellowship the Question and Answer Panel Discussion took place. The panel of great Men in our Apostolic Movement, Rev. B.J. Wilmoth,  Rev. Jonathan Shoemake, Rev. Kevin Bradford and Rev. Clifford Clark and moderator Rev. Myles Young have answered our questions and shared their experiences in ministering the word of God.

With this it marked the end of the 2009 E Group Meeting. This year’s meeting was an educational and spiritual uplift to many young men who are inspired to minister the word of God in many capacities. Looking forward to the next E Group Meeting in 2010.

Our nation once had a strong biblical foundation that made us strong, but the pull of the world has brought about many spiritual fatalities. The Bible makes many references to our faith in the context of warfare. In Ephesians Paul describes the armor of God. He also instructed Timothy to “fight the good fight.” If young men are falling out of the army of righteousness, that means they are not reaching the world. Even after experiencing God’s love, they are seduced by the world whether it is pornography, alcoholism, drugs addiction, or false doctrine. Conviction is the pillar that will sustain our walk with God and without it, we will be on the road to defeat.

May I remind someone the reality of this battle we face against the enemy? The Bible describes the enemy as one that is out to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The world can be very seductive, especially for young men who may not feel the pressures of older men that have families and more responsibilities of the household. Some may have the mentality of I will live now and grow later which is dangerous thinking.

Conviction is defined as being convinced, or strong belief. The apostles had a deep conviction that Jesus was God and Savior and it drove them to the point of being martyred. Without the conviction that Jesus was the messiah, they could not have gone out and died for what they believed in, unless they were utterly insane. If we do not maintain the same convictions of the gospel and doctrine the apostles had, we will not influence the world as they did.

To get to the place where we can maintain our strong beliefs, we must:

1. Pray – Ask and ye shall receive (Matthew 21:22). Take time in prayer to ask God to instill or maintain your convictions regarding doctrine or faith. Pray for someone that is struggling.

2. Study – Study to shew thyself approved unto God (II Timothy 2:15). Knowing what you believe and why you believe it will help you fight doubt that weakens conviction. David also wrote that a secure knowledge of God’s word would keep a person from sinning (Psalm 119: 11).

3. Accountability- Iron sharpeneth iron (Proverbs 17: 7). We need to make sure the people we surround ourselves with are drawing us closer to God. As humans prone to error, we stumble and it help to have support. The Bible said with one, we can put 1,000 to flight, but with two, we can put 10,000 to flight (Deut. 32:20).

 “All the strength and force of man comes from his faith in things unseen. He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions.” – James Freeman Clarke

He is the Originator.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).

Webster describes “founder” as “one that establishes”.  “Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting” (Psalms 93:2).  He is the one that “laid the foundations of the earth” (Job 38:4) and is the “chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).  In looking at these scriptures we see that the one that established is the one that created.  Amen.

A leader is a headship of a body, a conductor, or a guide.  He is the one providing direction to those behind; a shepherd, if you please.  “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep” (John 10:14).  “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them” (John 10:27). 

Allow me to veer off the road for a moment.  Whose voice are you hearing?  Or worse yet, whose voice are you listening to?  If you have a virtual internet relationship with someone on Facebook, MySpace, a personal blog or Twitter that is trying to persuade you against the teachings of your Pastor, stop!  The traditions and standards that your Pastor has instituted are for your protection.  Your Pastor is the one that will have to give an account for you.  Let him do it with joy and not grief.  If any should try to teach otherwise, they are at the least little foxes or worse, wolves in sheep’s clothing. 

Jesus is the Ruler.  “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21).  A ruler can only have dominion over what he can control.  “And he arose and said unto the sea, Peace be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this that even the wind and sea obey him?” (Mark 4:39-41).

To finish the study of the first word of this text, “author”, we come to captain.  Hebrews 2:10 calls Jesus the captain of our salvation.  Acts 4:10 lets us know that only through Jesus can we find salvation, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. 

Finisher is noted as the perfector.  If we be of Him through salvation (Acts 2:38) and are able to enjoy of His inheritance, then we are made perfect by Him in our reconnected-ness to God.

Faith is translated as assurance.  Assurance is a guarantee, a promise; something you can count on and take to the bank.  Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  We have the evidence or proof, it’s in the assurance. 

Just taking this one verse brings a true confidence in the power and might of Jesus in any aspect of life because, “Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).  My trust is with the Captain who has perfected our assurance.

 As we sneak so quietly into the kitchen and crack open the door to the fridge for a midnight snack a little trigger in the fridge door has been set off and now light breaks through the opening of the door. At this same instant darkness in the room retreats to hide behind an object to be nothing more then a faint shadow.  A line has been crossed and we are now in light. No longer are we silently, yet over dramatically, gasping for air while in shock as at least one of our ten toes makes contact with an unidentified object waiting in dark.

Light is intentional, we turn it on to be able to see where we are going, what is coming, or what is our surroundings. First we must find the power source in order to have light. “God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1: 5)  In John 8:12 Jesus is speaking and says, “…I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” So God is the power source of the light. When I received the gift of the Holy Ghost the light of God entered into my life, lighting my path. No longer must I walk in darkness not being able to see my next step. I now carry a torch that bears the name of God. Matthew 5:14 says, “Ye are the light of the world.” Verse 16 goes on to say, “Let your light so shine before men…” So as Jesus is the source of which we receive power I’m the bulb that his light shines through. The light of God just doesn’t turn off as if there has been a power outage due to weather conditions. The only way that this light can be turned of is by cutting out the power source.

 We are to be a light to the lost, a reflection of the light of God in a dark world. But just as we purposely turn on light, we can also cut off the source that is feeding power to the light bulb. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” (1 John1:6) What is truth? Preaching Jesus name baptism and being filled with the Holy Ghost. Why is light throughout this world cutting off the source of power and falling to the dimming light of the emerging church? Jesus said, “Be holy for I am holy”. What is holy in Hollywood, revealing clothing, boys looking like girls, girls looking like boys, or being so relevant that you can’t tell the difference between a first time visitor and the rest of your church? This is what happened to me a few years ago and I knew I was getting caught up in something that could not stand the test of time.

 I thank God that I have found a path of transcendent light shining from the house of God that led me from the dim light of the emerging church. 1 Peter 2:9 says that we were called out of darkness and into his “marvelous light”! 2 Cor. 4:6, His light shines out darkness. But what about being relevant to the world?  Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “And not be conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will or God”. I want God’s perfect will in my life! The Word of God is clear that we are to “be not conformed to this world”! We are a chosen people that are separated from this world!

 In conclusion, light can always be turned on in a dark room but darkness can not be turned on to over power light unless the power source has been cut off from the light.

Luke 11:34-35, “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole boy is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body is also full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.”

Pre-Tour suggested reading :

1. “Azusa Street” by Frank Bartleman

http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Bartlemans-Azusa-Street-Revival%C2%97/dp/0768423651/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248458249&sr=1-1

2. “The Azusa Street Mission and Revival” by Cecil M. Robeck Jr

http://www.amazon.com/Azusa-Street-Mission-Revival/dp/1418506249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248458461&sr=1-1

*To reserve your seat: Contact E Group via email: info@menseekinggod.com , or via office number: (909) 793.4353 on or before Sept 21

We look forward to seeing you all there!

    Before that seed ever becomes a fruit bearing tree it first has to die (John 12:24).  The word used for “die” here is apothnesko, which has both a literal and figurative meaning, usually with reference to death in sin (Romans 5:15).  This dying out of sin and ones self can be extremely painful.  Like the seed, the places we are taken (in the Spirit) are dark and sometimes terrifying.  We are caked in mud and loneliness sets in all around us.  We may question God’s plan for our lives, but the seed never questions.  It continues the process because it knows that this is what it was meant to be.  That seemingly insignificant seed already possesses everything it needs to sustain the elements of the earth and hardships it may go through.  It already has the entire make-up of that fruit tree within it.  It just has to go through the process to produce the fruit.

   Then, after the seed has taken a backseat to its own wants and desires, God pushes it further into the earth.  Deeper and darker become the surroundings when wanting to do the will of God.  We, like the seed, need roots to keep up firmly grounded when the wind and the rains that await us come calling.  As we stretch and scratch through the earth in search of water and nutrients to feed our roots, we begin to grow simultaneously upward.  Now, the balance of establishing roots and breaking through the surface becomes of utmost importance.  If the seed sprouts too quickly and does not have enough “grounding” then the first storm that washes over its dwelling will destroy it.  On the contrary, if it refuses to surface than its whole point of existence is stifled by refusing to “take on” the opposing elements.  Sadly, many neglect the importance of this disciplined process, and merely sit on the sidelines, afraid to commit themselves again.

   Upon reaching the surface, this new sapling faces its most difficult challenge yet, it must bear fruit.  Not just any fruit though, but good fruit, because its fruit will be a reflection of its character.  And as in our case a determining factor for our soul.  Therefore, along the way to “becoming” there will be many times when we can forget the way of the seed.  We can forget that God has a purpose for us and that it is not determined by what our neighbor is doing, but rather what God wants to do in us.  Not everybody produces one hundred fold.  Some are thirty and some are sixty.  Now, we obviously want to excel in all that we put our hands and minds to, but what would happen, if instead of trying to become someone we are not, we became the someone we already are.  You see, God didn’t tell the serpent thousands of years ago about a man, but rather he told him about a seed (Genesis 3:15).  Reason was, that Seed knew exactly who He was what He was sent to do.