Do you often find yourselves in a spiritual "dry" spell. I have. No rhyme or reason to it, just something that happens to us all. Some of us call it "depression," others of us just are tired and uninspired.
It may seems like you're crawling alone through the desert under a hot sun, nothing to drink or eat, not even knowing at times what it is we need. We struggled to find satisfaction. We just know that we need SOMEthing.
When we're at an all-time low, instead of praying to God to soothe our soul, we dwell on the thought of "How are we to mend ourselves?", or we are too discouraged to pray, and often run to the world for remedy (which is no remedy at all!) but TAKE HEART! The "desert experience" is actually a POSITIVE thing! Believe me, it's definitely worth the trip!
God is watching me closely, even while you may be in the desert, feeling spiritually dead:
Deuteronomy 32:10 — "He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye."
When I am in that "desert place" and nearly defenseless, God is protecting me, ready to do battle with anyone or anything that may do me harm. Joshua 8:14 — It came about when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that {there was} an ambush against him behind the city.
The Devil is always PRIMED AND READY when I hit these times in my life:
I need to be extra vigilant and keep God close at hand, using the tools He has given me, such as the Bible, close friends, worship, and prayer. This is the point where we fail as soldiers of Christ when we're not vigilant during the weak/weakest times of life. Luke 4:1-2 — Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. Though, the devil placed his aim on Jesus but Jesus knew who he was and will NOT give in.
During our "DESERT STORMS", we can praise God.
Often, we crouch in the closet of darkness, hide in our home, flee to worldly desires and mull over what is happening to us.
Instead of smiling to these storms, we frown.
Instead of shouting with joy, we shout with anger.
Instead of sharing with our friends what God has done to you as you fight through your trials (giving God the glory), we tell our friends what the problems are doing to us and have been overcome!
Only God can make your "walk in this life" a smooth one by allowing God a way to pass through our desert. We do this by:
Resting in Him!
Knowing that God is in control and believe He does!
Knowing He has our best interests at heart!
We can also "make smooth path" by correcting any wrongs that we may have done, through confession or by forgiveness. Isaiah 40:3 — A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
When you sing, "This is the day, this is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice, I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it (be glad, regardless of the circumstances!) then all will be made new, alive and fresh every morning with God! In other words, tremendous spiritual growth can happen in the midst of our dry desert. Do I hear an, "Amen!" Many Christians don't realize this important message Jesus had already taught, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 See, Jesus said, "..In this world you will have trouble." It is no surprise to Him. He knows you and I will suffer. He knows you and I will have pain when we lose our love ones, when we suffer ourselves, when we're burdened. I have found this to be especially true for me, really!. But in Isaiah 43:19 — "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. You don't know the blessings is just right next door. God is waiting for the right time to give it to you. You and I will have to seek Him in prayer.
There will be periods of EXTREME JOY and SPIRITUAL RICHES only if we rest ourselves in the knowledge of God and that "this too shall pass!" God is with us. Isaiah 51:3 — "The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing."
So there you have it. We can praise God in our "desert storms"! "Amen!?" I hope you mean it. I want you to be aware that we are not alone, we are protected, we are to be vigilant, forever, vigliant, we prepare (even for the worst), we are be reborn, and we REJOICE!
And when others wonder about the sparkle in our eyes and the spring in our step, we are more than happy to give God the glory! Again, much more than happy to give God the glory through the example of your perseverance, your perseverance, your perseverance through your trials!
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15)
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Monday, April 18, 2005
Surrendering For The Full Service Of The Savior
I flew into Dulles, last night, from Cleveland on FLYI and it is good to be home! (By the way, I highly recommend you to fly Independence Air for a number of reasons: cheap, fast service, and always on-time (so far)!!)
The gospel meeting in Ohio went very well. I preached on Romans 8 about LIFE and the congregation and visitors really enjoyed it. It was good being with both the deaf and hearing at 38th Street church of Christ. The food was great! The hospitality was excellent! And their love was evident! I thank God for the people at 38th Street!!
I just learned that, in their area (Canton, OH.), there are no full-time deaf ministers. There is one with another church (denomination) but he is hard-of-hearing who can talk on the phone and all. And there are thousands of deaf in the Cleveland, Akron, Canton area! I had a conversation with Ron Mollohan and he shared with me that Arkon has the highest infant fatality rate in the nation!!! He explained that children from infant to 6 years old are being shakened, beatened, or abandoned. The city has been scrambling to eliminate them. Akron is a city where Firestone tire company do their business. It's a factory city. Ron expressed his heaviness in heart that there are many out there (deaf and hearing) without Jesus. And evangelism is very poor! Churches in the area are not baptizing people! People are not surrendering their lives to the Lord!
It is my prayer that the Lord will open the door leading evangelistic families (deaf and hearing) into the city where they can train men, women and children the importance of Showing Jesus to their neighbors and those in the community! I must admit that there has been a sharp decline in families surrendering their lives for the full service of our Savior! It is never an easy decision. This is a challenging task! It is the Lord that calls men and women into His service. Do you hear His calling in Your heart? Be sure you keep the eyes of your heart open to His providence! And pray that those who have a calling will, indeed, surrender to the full service of the Savior!
The gospel meeting in Ohio went very well. I preached on Romans 8 about LIFE and the congregation and visitors really enjoyed it. It was good being with both the deaf and hearing at 38th Street church of Christ. The food was great! The hospitality was excellent! And their love was evident! I thank God for the people at 38th Street!!
I just learned that, in their area (Canton, OH.), there are no full-time deaf ministers. There is one with another church (denomination) but he is hard-of-hearing who can talk on the phone and all. And there are thousands of deaf in the Cleveland, Akron, Canton area! I had a conversation with Ron Mollohan and he shared with me that Arkon has the highest infant fatality rate in the nation!!! He explained that children from infant to 6 years old are being shakened, beatened, or abandoned. The city has been scrambling to eliminate them. Akron is a city where Firestone tire company do their business. It's a factory city. Ron expressed his heaviness in heart that there are many out there (deaf and hearing) without Jesus. And evangelism is very poor! Churches in the area are not baptizing people! People are not surrendering their lives to the Lord!
It is my prayer that the Lord will open the door leading evangelistic families (deaf and hearing) into the city where they can train men, women and children the importance of Showing Jesus to their neighbors and those in the community! I must admit that there has been a sharp decline in families surrendering their lives for the full service of our Savior! It is never an easy decision. This is a challenging task! It is the Lord that calls men and women into His service. Do you hear His calling in Your heart? Be sure you keep the eyes of your heart open to His providence! And pray that those who have a calling will, indeed, surrender to the full service of the Savior!
Thursday, April 14, 2005
X3
This is a rare blog, but it has to be blogged for all those struggling with this nasty sin!
Pornography has become a billion-dollar industry today! Devastating, huh!? Relationships and marriages are being destroyed because of these nasty porn: flicks, magazines and you-name-it! For all those struggling with porn, I highly recommend that you get help. Porn, horribly, eats you alive! It's a monster brewing in your life!
Check out this site, the X3! The two young ministers, Mike Foster and Craig Gross, are two brave men who aren't afraid to get their point across. They are encouraging Christians (men and women) to live a life of purity, integrity and an outrageous Christian walk. They have been shown on NBC Today, Los Angeles Times, Outdoors Magazine, even Playboy, Penthouse magazines (this, I am a bit surprised!) and more....
Check this site out at: www.xxxchurch.com
Let's fight against PORN and bring purity, integrity and outrageous walk with Jesus in your lives!
Pornography has become a billion-dollar industry today! Devastating, huh!? Relationships and marriages are being destroyed because of these nasty porn: flicks, magazines and you-name-it! For all those struggling with porn, I highly recommend that you get help. Porn, horribly, eats you alive! It's a monster brewing in your life!
Check out this site, the X3! The two young ministers, Mike Foster and Craig Gross, are two brave men who aren't afraid to get their point across. They are encouraging Christians (men and women) to live a life of purity, integrity and an outrageous Christian walk. They have been shown on NBC Today, Los Angeles Times, Outdoors Magazine, even Playboy, Penthouse magazines (this, I am a bit surprised!) and more....
Check this site out at: www.xxxchurch.com
Let's fight against PORN and bring purity, integrity and outrageous walk with Jesus in your lives!
Souled Out!
Good morning, bloggers!
First of all, I want to thank each of you for visiting my blogs. I am not just some "clever dude" with a message for all of you. I believe it's an outpouring of God's Spirit and love in me that yearns for those in the dark, dark world. I cannot explain my love for those without Jesus. Deep in my heart, I ache for them! I do all I can with God's power and love to help the hurting, the fragile, the broken, and the confused. Oftentimes, Satan won them over and declared the victory. Yes, it is discouraging at times and I do accept the defeat which is very small. But those in Christ have the victory, the grandest of them all! Then I continue to pray for those whom Satan had won over to return to God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind! This I know one thing: With God, Nothing Is Impossible!
Please take a moment of prayer for those you know that you have tried to reach out to. Thank you!
Today is the first day of the Nationals (D.C.'s first baseball team in more than 3 decades, last team was the Senators) baseball game! I just learned on channel 4 news (my favorite channel) that the RFK stadium, the home of the Nationals, are "sold out". They will be fully packed! Interstate and highways will be swarming with cars and buses. Hot dogs cooking. Sodas fizzing. Pretzels steaming. Peanuts roasting. Seventh inning stretch. "One, two, three, you're out! Of the ole ballgame!" song will be sung. That's the atmosphere of this "sold out" ball game tonight at RFK. Those without a ticket will not be able to experience the good, ole ballgame!
God has a ballgame of His own. The name of the team? The Faithfuls! The name of the stadium? Heaven. And it will, also, be "sold out". The "narrow way" highway will be, a few, with faithfuls. Candles shining. Banquet cooking. Harps strumming. Angelic choir tuning. The "sea" glimmering. Thunder rumbling. Lightning flashing. And the Lord reigning. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, is, and is to come." (Rev. 4:8b) song will be sung. That's the atmosphere of this grandest, "sold out", ballgame in Heaven! And those without Christ will not be able to experience the good, ole ballgame in Heaven!
"Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of first is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:12b-15 (NIV)
I hope you're "Souled Out" to God! Then you're able to sing with all those in Heaven stadium, "One, Two, Three, you're in! Of the ole ballgame!"
First of all, I want to thank each of you for visiting my blogs. I am not just some "clever dude" with a message for all of you. I believe it's an outpouring of God's Spirit and love in me that yearns for those in the dark, dark world. I cannot explain my love for those without Jesus. Deep in my heart, I ache for them! I do all I can with God's power and love to help the hurting, the fragile, the broken, and the confused. Oftentimes, Satan won them over and declared the victory. Yes, it is discouraging at times and I do accept the defeat which is very small. But those in Christ have the victory, the grandest of them all! Then I continue to pray for those whom Satan had won over to return to God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind! This I know one thing: With God, Nothing Is Impossible!
Please take a moment of prayer for those you know that you have tried to reach out to. Thank you!
Today is the first day of the Nationals (D.C.'s first baseball team in more than 3 decades, last team was the Senators) baseball game! I just learned on channel 4 news (my favorite channel) that the RFK stadium, the home of the Nationals, are "sold out". They will be fully packed! Interstate and highways will be swarming with cars and buses. Hot dogs cooking. Sodas fizzing. Pretzels steaming. Peanuts roasting. Seventh inning stretch. "One, two, three, you're out! Of the ole ballgame!" song will be sung. That's the atmosphere of this "sold out" ball game tonight at RFK. Those without a ticket will not be able to experience the good, ole ballgame!
God has a ballgame of His own. The name of the team? The Faithfuls! The name of the stadium? Heaven. And it will, also, be "sold out". The "narrow way" highway will be, a few, with faithfuls. Candles shining. Banquet cooking. Harps strumming. Angelic choir tuning. The "sea" glimmering. Thunder rumbling. Lightning flashing. And the Lord reigning. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, is, and is to come." (Rev. 4:8b) song will be sung. That's the atmosphere of this grandest, "sold out", ballgame in Heaven! And those without Christ will not be able to experience the good, ole ballgame in Heaven!
"Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of first is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:12b-15 (NIV)
I hope you're "Souled Out" to God! Then you're able to sing with all those in Heaven stadium, "One, Two, Three, you're in! Of the ole ballgame!"
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
"What Are You Talking About?"
What a beautiful and crisp morning we're having today! Praise God! With a chance of rain today, the sun just poke out with its rays and shone on my whole body as I sit in my bedroom preparing for the Ohio gospel meeting this weekend. The warmth of the sun rays reminds me of God's rays of love. Thank You, God, for the rays of love that shines on our fragile, frail and yet precious soul! Lord, have mercy on us!
I am working on four lessons based on the book of Romans 8. Remember, Romans is one of my favorite book in the Bible. There's so much in there that brings complete answers to life's questions. Everytime I read the passages (though it seems I have done so over a thousand times), there's never a dull moment! As I prepare my lesson, I wrestled with the thought of this question, "How will the people respond to the message I give for God?" "What if they become bored when I go blah, blah, blah.?" It is as if, in the tv program, Different Strokes, Arnold Jackson asking his brother, Willis, "What are you talking about, Willis?" with a stare!
I like what Mike Cope shared in his blog regarding him struggling with preaching and the congregants struggling with hearing (seeing):
"Plus, you know that YOU are not ready. Not nearly as far along spiritually as you thought you'd be by now. Too caught up with grief and compromised by knowing your words go beyond your life. The Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword, and you can feel the wounds from its blade.
And you're quite certain the listeners aren't ready. They're tired. They've heard it before. Their lives are challenging. They may want more than you can deliver.
But the moment comes. The text is read. You pray that God will pour through you the gift of preaching.
And then something happens that goes beyond preparation, beyond communication skills, beyond clever twists of phrases.
It's preaching. Despite your failures, despite your clumsiness, despite your personal inconsistencies, the Word of God has its say. A great mystery, far beyond what I can comprehend."
Jesus shared with the people the parable about a sower in Matthew 13. Not all the people will be able to take in the seed (Word) and be pierced because their hearts may be hard, rocky (cannot develop roots) or filled with weeds (problems and worries of life). Some will take in the seed (Word) deep into their heart and will never allow anything to take it away. The pressures of life will do just about anything to take the seed out of the heart of each soul. When we're not taking in the powerful Word of God, we may end up saying, "What are you talking about?" like when the Disciples didn't fully understand the teachings of Jesus, "But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said." Luke 18:34 (NAS)
"Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory... ...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. " Ephesians 3:13, 17-19 (NAS)
Everytime I finish a sermon, my prayer is a prayer of apologizing knowing that in my own feeble way, I could not nearly express the love that He has for us. I feel like I want to tear out the flesh of my skin, break my ribs and have you look at my heart. But that's physical. The love I have for God and for all those in the world is spiritual. I trust in the Word of God, when I preach and teach, to do what I can't. Only the Lord knows what lies in the heart of every living soul!
I am working on four lessons based on the book of Romans 8. Remember, Romans is one of my favorite book in the Bible. There's so much in there that brings complete answers to life's questions. Everytime I read the passages (though it seems I have done so over a thousand times), there's never a dull moment! As I prepare my lesson, I wrestled with the thought of this question, "How will the people respond to the message I give for God?" "What if they become bored when I go blah, blah, blah.?" It is as if, in the tv program, Different Strokes, Arnold Jackson asking his brother, Willis, "What are you talking about, Willis?" with a stare!
I like what Mike Cope shared in his blog regarding him struggling with preaching and the congregants struggling with hearing (seeing):
"Plus, you know that YOU are not ready. Not nearly as far along spiritually as you thought you'd be by now. Too caught up with grief and compromised by knowing your words go beyond your life. The Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword, and you can feel the wounds from its blade.
And you're quite certain the listeners aren't ready. They're tired. They've heard it before. Their lives are challenging. They may want more than you can deliver.
But the moment comes. The text is read. You pray that God will pour through you the gift of preaching.
And then something happens that goes beyond preparation, beyond communication skills, beyond clever twists of phrases.
It's preaching. Despite your failures, despite your clumsiness, despite your personal inconsistencies, the Word of God has its say. A great mystery, far beyond what I can comprehend."
Jesus shared with the people the parable about a sower in Matthew 13. Not all the people will be able to take in the seed (Word) and be pierced because their hearts may be hard, rocky (cannot develop roots) or filled with weeds (problems and worries of life). Some will take in the seed (Word) deep into their heart and will never allow anything to take it away. The pressures of life will do just about anything to take the seed out of the heart of each soul. When we're not taking in the powerful Word of God, we may end up saying, "What are you talking about?" like when the Disciples didn't fully understand the teachings of Jesus, "But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said." Luke 18:34 (NAS)
"Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory... ...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. " Ephesians 3:13, 17-19 (NAS)
Everytime I finish a sermon, my prayer is a prayer of apologizing knowing that in my own feeble way, I could not nearly express the love that He has for us. I feel like I want to tear out the flesh of my skin, break my ribs and have you look at my heart. But that's physical. The love I have for God and for all those in the world is spiritual. I trust in the Word of God, when I preach and teach, to do what I can't. Only the Lord knows what lies in the heart of every living soul!
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
A New Creation!
Regenerated, Recreated, Redeemed!
Awesome! It was an awesome day last Sunday. It wasn't just the lesson. It wasn't just the people. It wasn't just a beautiful day. It was the end of the old and the beginning of the new!
Ben Martin buried his old life in the Lord in baptism on April 10th, 2005, and raised in Christ! He is now clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27) So I say this, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and I say it again, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 (NAS) Welcome, brother Martin, to the Fairfax family. We praise God for you!
"In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead." Colossians 2:11-12 (NIV)
Awesome! It was an awesome day last Sunday. It wasn't just the lesson. It wasn't just the people. It wasn't just a beautiful day. It was the end of the old and the beginning of the new!
Ben Martin buried his old life in the Lord in baptism on April 10th, 2005, and raised in Christ! He is now clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27) So I say this, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and I say it again, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 (NAS) Welcome, brother Martin, to the Fairfax family. We praise God for you!
"In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead." Colossians 2:11-12 (NIV)
Monday, April 11, 2005
Par 3, 16th Hole
I just got home from the Singing Holy Hands praise team practice. We're getting ready for the May 21st and 22nd "Defining Moments II" production. This time, we're singing two beautiful songs: "My Eyes Are Dry" and "My God Reigns". Though, we're accustomed to the "My Eyes.." song, the "My God Reigns" song is the most challenging one which requires alot of rotations. This time, we're having a full group of 8 singers (4 men, 4 women), and I am praising God!
I would like to talk about the 16th hole. You may be wondering, "What, in the world, does the 16th hole have to do with God or the Bible???" My answer, "Everything!" I was watching the Masters yesterday. For those who may be wondering, "Then, what in the world is the "Masters"!" (smiling) It's a golf tournament where many high profile, professional golfers go. There's a long history in the Masters tournament where many great golfers play to win: Faldo, Nicklas, Mickelson and Woods. I watched DiMarco and Woods duel against one another through each holes. It was very exciting. Woods led throughout most of the day after he was behind DiMarco who was in the lead since Thursday.
When both came to the 16th hole, DiMarco had a good run. Woods, not as good as DiMarco, hit to the left of the hole. Then DiMarco proceeded to do a chip shot and narrowly missed the hole to make a birdie (means one under par). On the 16th hole, DiMarco made a par (even) on that course. Woods' ball is well a distance away and the green was pretty sloped. He took his time to examine the green, removed any debris, knelt down fixing his eyes on what he should do, talked with his caddie (who carries his clubs), and knelt down again. He stood in front of the ball, took his time, and ready for a memorable shot in the history of golf. When he hit the shot that swept down a ridge and funneled its way slowly down the slope. The ball came to the rim of the hole and stopped. Woods and his caddie grimmaced with "Ahh and oh no!" The camera glued to the ball as it stopped barely at the rim for just about two seconds then all of a sudden it dropped into the hole! Woods, the caddie and the crowd jumped into an uproar! I could read Woods' lips, "It worked!!" And I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this fabulous shot, one of the most memorable shots that I will never forget! I was actually jumping up and waving my hands and doing the fist-pump! It was awesome!
They were showing the 16th hole shot over and over. I kept watching it over and over and thought of God. This is how God works in our lives. Just as Woods shot the ball in an opposite direction of the hole, up the slope, it may seem that our life is going in the opposite direction, too. Going up the slope is hard work. It's, sometimes, grueling and frustrating. Other times, we're wondering what God has in store for us. But as the ball, gently, rolled down the slope, it may seem that God is, slowly, working in our lives (gradually changing us and preparing us for an excitement). But when the ball rested at the edge of the hole, even for a couple of seconds, it seems that God wants us to pause for a moment (as in prayer) and remember the slope and decline, that victory is a drop away. Then the ball dropped! Victory is given! The angels and God's people shout in an uproar, "Praise the Lord!!!" You're welcome to do the "Tiger-Woods-Fist-Pump"!
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 (NAS)
That's how God works in our lives! There will be time when you'll experience the par 3, 16th Hole excitement! Just watch God provide for: His, the power and yours, the victory!
I would like to talk about the 16th hole. You may be wondering, "What, in the world, does the 16th hole have to do with God or the Bible???" My answer, "Everything!" I was watching the Masters yesterday. For those who may be wondering, "Then, what in the world is the "Masters"!" (smiling) It's a golf tournament where many high profile, professional golfers go. There's a long history in the Masters tournament where many great golfers play to win: Faldo, Nicklas, Mickelson and Woods. I watched DiMarco and Woods duel against one another through each holes. It was very exciting. Woods led throughout most of the day after he was behind DiMarco who was in the lead since Thursday.
When both came to the 16th hole, DiMarco had a good run. Woods, not as good as DiMarco, hit to the left of the hole. Then DiMarco proceeded to do a chip shot and narrowly missed the hole to make a birdie (means one under par). On the 16th hole, DiMarco made a par (even) on that course. Woods' ball is well a distance away and the green was pretty sloped. He took his time to examine the green, removed any debris, knelt down fixing his eyes on what he should do, talked with his caddie (who carries his clubs), and knelt down again. He stood in front of the ball, took his time, and ready for a memorable shot in the history of golf. When he hit the shot that swept down a ridge and funneled its way slowly down the slope. The ball came to the rim of the hole and stopped. Woods and his caddie grimmaced with "Ahh and oh no!" The camera glued to the ball as it stopped barely at the rim for just about two seconds then all of a sudden it dropped into the hole! Woods, the caddie and the crowd jumped into an uproar! I could read Woods' lips, "It worked!!" And I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this fabulous shot, one of the most memorable shots that I will never forget! I was actually jumping up and waving my hands and doing the fist-pump! It was awesome!
They were showing the 16th hole shot over and over. I kept watching it over and over and thought of God. This is how God works in our lives. Just as Woods shot the ball in an opposite direction of the hole, up the slope, it may seem that our life is going in the opposite direction, too. Going up the slope is hard work. It's, sometimes, grueling and frustrating. Other times, we're wondering what God has in store for us. But as the ball, gently, rolled down the slope, it may seem that God is, slowly, working in our lives (gradually changing us and preparing us for an excitement). But when the ball rested at the edge of the hole, even for a couple of seconds, it seems that God wants us to pause for a moment (as in prayer) and remember the slope and decline, that victory is a drop away. Then the ball dropped! Victory is given! The angels and God's people shout in an uproar, "Praise the Lord!!!" You're welcome to do the "Tiger-Woods-Fist-Pump"!
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 (NAS)
That's how God works in our lives! There will be time when you'll experience the par 3, 16th Hole excitement! Just watch God provide for: His, the power and yours, the victory!
Friday, April 08, 2005
Beauty of Jesus!
Yesterday, we had a very warm day! That, I like! All the people are now coming out of the "hibernation mode" across the country after a whirlwind of weather (mudslides in California; Tsunami in Asia; snow, snow, snow in the mid-Atlantic). Now, mother nature is starting to cooperate with us. It's a blessing to have just about anything, weather-wise!
I did some pruning, raking, pulling and watering in our front yard. It didn't look so bad before I started the work until I see how many bags full of debris I had packed in! It didn't seem like I would have more than one bags, but I did. Though, I have some "side effects" after doing all the pruning, raking, pulling and watering, it sure feels good seeing our front lawn looking like an award-winning landscape!
Jesus taught His disciple the art of "spirit-scaping." The definition of "landscaping" is: the art of depicting (as if by picture) such scenery; making such scenery.
"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." John 15:2 (NAS)
We must praise Jesus for what He continues to do with our lives? He is constantly changing the way we talk, the way we behave, the way we respond, the way we think and the way we feel. He molded us into His likeness. But it all depends on the person of God. The Scripture, above, tells it all! Jesus identified the "branch" as a soul living on earth. There are two life that a "branch" will live: bearing fruit or not. When a soul (Christian or world) does not walk and talk like Jesus, that soul is not bearing fruit. They may be living a very bitter life, critical or prideful or living a "license to sin", idolaters, greedy, drunkards and others that God identifies in the heart of a soul..
God brings out the Word through His servant. At first, the Word (Holy Spirit) will convict the soul (the world) of his/her sins and prayerfully, he/she will come to the Lord (hear, believe, repent, confess and baptize). After the soul has given his/her life to the Lord in baptism, they are added to the "number" (Acts 2:41-42), thus added to the Vine who is Jesus. Now, the Spirit, through God's holy Word, will do some "spirit-scaping". It is God that prunes making the soul a more fruitful servant. God has a desire for every soul to live for Jesus. So He, through the teachings and preachings of His Word, changes (pruning) the soul that will eventually become a much beautiful and fruitful person of God.
There's no beauty in a critical, bitter, prideful or a "license to sin" person. God, after trying to change such person with His Word, leaves no room for this person on the Vine. It is a poison that not only affects a person but affects the whole body of Christ, the church. So He cuts it away because he/she will not change and bear fruit!
And there's a beauty of Jesus, those who reflect their lives, the beauty of the Lord, the wonders of His Word!
Let's pray: Oh God, thank You for this life we have. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, for He died to free us from the bondage of sin. There's nothing else on earth that is like Him. And there's nothing more I want. I pray, Father, that You will do what You will in every soul that comes to You. I pray those who have come to You (Christians) will continue to be a changing person because of Your Word. We know it's Your desire to grow a strong and healthy church. We know it's Your desire that every soul walk and talk like Jesus. It is really sad that we have hundreds of thousands of Christians who are not walking according to Your Word. We know that you call them, "lukewarm" and that Your Son, Jesus, will spit them out of His mouth. Thank You for those who continues to serve You, are forever changing their attitudes and hearts, are connected to the Vine (Jesus). Pray that You will do what You will to make those whose hearts are fruitful, more fruitful! In Jesus' Name, Amen!
I did some pruning, raking, pulling and watering in our front yard. It didn't look so bad before I started the work until I see how many bags full of debris I had packed in! It didn't seem like I would have more than one bags, but I did. Though, I have some "side effects" after doing all the pruning, raking, pulling and watering, it sure feels good seeing our front lawn looking like an award-winning landscape!
Jesus taught His disciple the art of "spirit-scaping." The definition of "landscaping" is: the art of depicting (as if by picture) such scenery; making such scenery.
"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." John 15:2 (NAS)
We must praise Jesus for what He continues to do with our lives? He is constantly changing the way we talk, the way we behave, the way we respond, the way we think and the way we feel. He molded us into His likeness. But it all depends on the person of God. The Scripture, above, tells it all! Jesus identified the "branch" as a soul living on earth. There are two life that a "branch" will live: bearing fruit or not. When a soul (Christian or world) does not walk and talk like Jesus, that soul is not bearing fruit. They may be living a very bitter life, critical or prideful or living a "license to sin", idolaters, greedy, drunkards and others that God identifies in the heart of a soul..
God brings out the Word through His servant. At first, the Word (Holy Spirit) will convict the soul (the world) of his/her sins and prayerfully, he/she will come to the Lord (hear, believe, repent, confess and baptize). After the soul has given his/her life to the Lord in baptism, they are added to the "number" (Acts 2:41-42), thus added to the Vine who is Jesus. Now, the Spirit, through God's holy Word, will do some "spirit-scaping". It is God that prunes making the soul a more fruitful servant. God has a desire for every soul to live for Jesus. So He, through the teachings and preachings of His Word, changes (pruning) the soul that will eventually become a much beautiful and fruitful person of God.
There's no beauty in a critical, bitter, prideful or a "license to sin" person. God, after trying to change such person with His Word, leaves no room for this person on the Vine. It is a poison that not only affects a person but affects the whole body of Christ, the church. So He cuts it away because he/she will not change and bear fruit!
And there's a beauty of Jesus, those who reflect their lives, the beauty of the Lord, the wonders of His Word!
Let's pray: Oh God, thank You for this life we have. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, for He died to free us from the bondage of sin. There's nothing else on earth that is like Him. And there's nothing more I want. I pray, Father, that You will do what You will in every soul that comes to You. I pray those who have come to You (Christians) will continue to be a changing person because of Your Word. We know it's Your desire to grow a strong and healthy church. We know it's Your desire that every soul walk and talk like Jesus. It is really sad that we have hundreds of thousands of Christians who are not walking according to Your Word. We know that you call them, "lukewarm" and that Your Son, Jesus, will spit them out of His mouth. Thank You for those who continues to serve You, are forever changing their attitudes and hearts, are connected to the Vine (Jesus). Pray that You will do what You will to make those whose hearts are fruitful, more fruitful! In Jesus' Name, Amen!
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Your Relationship With....
Life is about relationships. God has shown His desire to see His children in the world work together by cooperating, loving, serving, respecting, admonishing, rebuking, correcting, and training in accordance to the Word of God. So how are your relationship among these people?:
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)
Not only this applies to fathers but mothers as well. We are to show our children the love of God.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH AN OLDER MAN
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. 1 Timothy 5:1 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUNGER MEN
Treat younger men as brothers, 1 Timothy 5:1 (NIV)
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. 1 John 3:15 (NIV)
This is the same for the sisters. Anyone who hates his/her sister is a murderer as well. Everyone must get along with one another and love!
RELATIONSHIP WITH OLDER WOMEN
older women as mothers, 1 Timothy 5:2 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUNGER WOMEN
and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. 1 Timothy 5:2 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH ENEMIES
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44 (NLT)
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Luke 6:29 (NIV)
Jesus said, "..love your enemies!" with an exclamation point! Jesus stressed this because this is a common problem among us all today! In the Barna survey, about 60 to 70 percent of Christians have a hard time forgiving other people. I am not sure of the number but it is somewhere around that percentage or even higher. It's alarming! Jesus emphasized that He desires genuine and loving relationship with just as anyone as possible, including our enemies! Even, Jesus asked God to forgive them for what they had done to Him (crucify).
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34 (NIV)
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH LEADERS
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. John 13:15 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Of all relationships, the most important relationship you need is with God. When you begin a sincere relationship with God, I mean, "sincere", then your relationship with others will be very deep! This is a command, not an option. This is life, not a habit.
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
In order to love God and your neighbors (children, older men, older women, younger men, younger women, enemies and leaders) requires deep humility before our great Lord God. Here are a couple of things we are to do to build strong relationships:
SET A GODLY EXAMPLE:
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
How are you talking with others? How are you living your life before others? How are you loving the love of God? How is your faith? How is your purity (mainly in your heart)?
THEY ARE BETTER THAN YOU:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
When you see someone, you're looking at someone better than you! Always!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
If you don't love, you don't know God and God does not know you. A person that lives without love in their heart is seen as a person of bitterness.
LET THE SCRIPTURE EQUIP YOU FOR BETTER RELATIONSHIPS:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
We need to use the Scripture to teach, rebuke, correct and train a person to become right with God so that they will, eventually, do great work for Him.
So, how are your relationships?
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)
Not only this applies to fathers but mothers as well. We are to show our children the love of God.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH AN OLDER MAN
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. 1 Timothy 5:1 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUNGER MEN
Treat younger men as brothers, 1 Timothy 5:1 (NIV)
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. 1 John 3:15 (NIV)
This is the same for the sisters. Anyone who hates his/her sister is a murderer as well. Everyone must get along with one another and love!
RELATIONSHIP WITH OLDER WOMEN
older women as mothers, 1 Timothy 5:2 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUNGER WOMEN
and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. 1 Timothy 5:2 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH ENEMIES
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44 (NLT)
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Luke 6:29 (NIV)
Jesus said, "..love your enemies!" with an exclamation point! Jesus stressed this because this is a common problem among us all today! In the Barna survey, about 60 to 70 percent of Christians have a hard time forgiving other people. I am not sure of the number but it is somewhere around that percentage or even higher. It's alarming! Jesus emphasized that He desires genuine and loving relationship with just as anyone as possible, including our enemies! Even, Jesus asked God to forgive them for what they had done to Him (crucify).
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34 (NIV)
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH LEADERS
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. John 13:15 (NIV)
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Of all relationships, the most important relationship you need is with God. When you begin a sincere relationship with God, I mean, "sincere", then your relationship with others will be very deep! This is a command, not an option. This is life, not a habit.
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
In order to love God and your neighbors (children, older men, older women, younger men, younger women, enemies and leaders) requires deep humility before our great Lord God. Here are a couple of things we are to do to build strong relationships:
SET A GODLY EXAMPLE:
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
How are you talking with others? How are you living your life before others? How are you loving the love of God? How is your faith? How is your purity (mainly in your heart)?
THEY ARE BETTER THAN YOU:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
When you see someone, you're looking at someone better than you! Always!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
If you don't love, you don't know God and God does not know you. A person that lives without love in their heart is seen as a person of bitterness.
LET THE SCRIPTURE EQUIP YOU FOR BETTER RELATIONSHIPS:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
We need to use the Scripture to teach, rebuke, correct and train a person to become right with God so that they will, eventually, do great work for Him.
So, how are your relationships?
Monday, April 04, 2005
About Relationships
Good morning and what a great day it is! I have been listening to Zoe's, "A New Anointing". It's a season of new anointing, it's a season for fresh outpouring! This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it! Love the song! Thank you, God!
I want to talk about "relationships" for the next several BLOGS. God has a strong desire for relationship between a brother/brother, sister/sister or brother/sister. This way, the church will flourish to unimaginable proportions! Without relationships, I don't see why we should continue on as a "church". Satan's strong desire is to go into the core (heart) of the church, destroy relationships, which will eventually destory His church (people). Let's see what Jesus says about relationships.
When the crowds (Jews) asked Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?” he answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” That raised no eyebrows and rocked no boats. The good, ole Jews have quoted this hundreds of thousands of times in their life.
“Excellent man, my Jesus. Excellent answer,” the crowd would have nodded in agreement. That I can do and have done. It shows that we are all a-OK..
But then Jesus added a line. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)
Yikes! Things changed. There were commotions among the Jews questioning that raises red flags,
"Which neighbor is He talking about? I hope He's not thinking what I am thinking!"
"You don't expect me to get along with 'that guy' over there?"
"Hey, are you telling me to 'love' this person regardless even if he/she annoys me? I don't think so!"
"I don't have time for this, right now, because he/she is actually wasting "my" time!"
Can you hear these among the Jews now? What about among us, even your own thoughts?
Hold on a minute, now! Let me explain this. The “Love God” is what we all do nowadays.. Sounds religious. Well, it's religion. It's comfortable.
Until......
Jesus added the "neighbor" line and slammed the "Love God" line down! Now Jesus had gone and targeted that teaching. He’d made it practical. He’d aimed it at real people. People who has a desire to "LOVE" their neighbor no matter who they are: intelligent, uneducated, poor, rich, talkative, quiet, loving, mean, and anything you can think of. The aim is: to "bring Jesus" into the hearts of "negative" people and encourage the "positive" people to "show Jesus".
When we say that we are all a-OK, the "loving God" becomes vague.. One writer excellently quoted, "We can put on and take off our religion like we do our Sunday clothes. We can set our faith up on the shelf beside our dusty family Bible and still feel holy. But when Jesus targeted that teaching, well, things got practical and personal."
The way Jesus "showed Jesus", expressed the love of God is, not in the church buildings (pews, pulpit), but in relationships with people - in the way you and I get along with him or her and all. I believe we're missing the important point if being with God on Sunday doesn’t make us better at being with people on Monday. Real "religion" shines in right relationships. Right relationships shows Jesus. If you're only going to worship God on Sundays but have no interests in building relationships/restoring relationships, then you're drifting far from God.
Who is neighbor? Grumpy ones. Mean ones. Talkative ones. Lazy ones. Wives who don’t appreciate what wonderful husbands they have. Husbands who think they are too wonderful. Relating to people with “the Show Jesus” is easier said than done.
Isn’t our mission the same as Jesus’ mission? Touching people? Didn’t John say, “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen”? (1 John 4:20) See how far away from God you're falling from when you're not loving your brother or sister?
So we come to an important personal question:
How are your relationships?
Think for just a minute about the people in your world. Some are in your life by choice: your mate, your best friend, perhaps a business associate. Others you inherited by chance: your relatives, your next-door neighbor, maybe your boss.
Could you use a little help in doing right by people? I guess we all could.
The plan?
Simple. You need a coach. Let Coach Jesus coach you into right relationships.. He will help you track down "the love Jesus loved people", and we’ll learn the art of relationship from the Eternal!. Only if we mean "love", we’re going to learn from Jesus how to treat people!
So....... How are your relationships?
I want to talk about "relationships" for the next several BLOGS. God has a strong desire for relationship between a brother/brother, sister/sister or brother/sister. This way, the church will flourish to unimaginable proportions! Without relationships, I don't see why we should continue on as a "church". Satan's strong desire is to go into the core (heart) of the church, destroy relationships, which will eventually destory His church (people). Let's see what Jesus says about relationships.
When the crowds (Jews) asked Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?” he answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” That raised no eyebrows and rocked no boats. The good, ole Jews have quoted this hundreds of thousands of times in their life.
“Excellent man, my Jesus. Excellent answer,” the crowd would have nodded in agreement. That I can do and have done. It shows that we are all a-OK..
But then Jesus added a line. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)
Yikes! Things changed. There were commotions among the Jews questioning that raises red flags,
"Which neighbor is He talking about? I hope He's not thinking what I am thinking!"
"You don't expect me to get along with 'that guy' over there?"
"Hey, are you telling me to 'love' this person regardless even if he/she annoys me? I don't think so!"
"I don't have time for this, right now, because he/she is actually wasting "my" time!"
Can you hear these among the Jews now? What about among us, even your own thoughts?
Hold on a minute, now! Let me explain this. The “Love God” is what we all do nowadays.. Sounds religious. Well, it's religion. It's comfortable.
Until......
Jesus added the "neighbor" line and slammed the "Love God" line down! Now Jesus had gone and targeted that teaching. He’d made it practical. He’d aimed it at real people. People who has a desire to "LOVE" their neighbor no matter who they are: intelligent, uneducated, poor, rich, talkative, quiet, loving, mean, and anything you can think of. The aim is: to "bring Jesus" into the hearts of "negative" people and encourage the "positive" people to "show Jesus".
When we say that we are all a-OK, the "loving God" becomes vague.. One writer excellently quoted, "We can put on and take off our religion like we do our Sunday clothes. We can set our faith up on the shelf beside our dusty family Bible and still feel holy. But when Jesus targeted that teaching, well, things got practical and personal."
The way Jesus "showed Jesus", expressed the love of God is, not in the church buildings (pews, pulpit), but in relationships with people - in the way you and I get along with him or her and all. I believe we're missing the important point if being with God on Sunday doesn’t make us better at being with people on Monday. Real "religion" shines in right relationships. Right relationships shows Jesus. If you're only going to worship God on Sundays but have no interests in building relationships/restoring relationships, then you're drifting far from God.
Who is neighbor? Grumpy ones. Mean ones. Talkative ones. Lazy ones. Wives who don’t appreciate what wonderful husbands they have. Husbands who think they are too wonderful. Relating to people with “the Show Jesus” is easier said than done.
Isn’t our mission the same as Jesus’ mission? Touching people? Didn’t John say, “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen”? (1 John 4:20) See how far away from God you're falling from when you're not loving your brother or sister?
So we come to an important personal question:
How are your relationships?
Think for just a minute about the people in your world. Some are in your life by choice: your mate, your best friend, perhaps a business associate. Others you inherited by chance: your relatives, your next-door neighbor, maybe your boss.
Could you use a little help in doing right by people? I guess we all could.
The plan?
Simple. You need a coach. Let Coach Jesus coach you into right relationships.. He will help you track down "the love Jesus loved people", and we’ll learn the art of relationship from the Eternal!. Only if we mean "love", we’re going to learn from Jesus how to treat people!
So....... How are your relationships?
Thursday, March 31, 2005
40 Days Of Purpose
Last night, we had a great meeting but the turnout was less than expected. Nevertheless, we're very excited about the upcoming 40 Days campaign this Fall starting on September 26th through November 20th (tentative)! It is just enormously EXCITING!!!
"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:11-12 (MSG)
Here's a refresher course that will get you excited about the upcoming campaign! What are God's Five Purposes in our life? Or the most important question, "What On Earth Am I Here For?"
WORSHIP: We were planned for God's pleasure!
FELLOWSHIP: We were formed for God's family!
DISCIPLESHIP: We were created to become like Christ!
MINISTRY: We were shaped for serving God!
EVANGELISM: We were made for a mission!
This is a way to help us keep God at the CENTER of our lives, CONNECT with fellow believers, CULTIVATE spiritual maturity and godly character, CONTRIBUTE something back by using their talents in ministry and COMMUNICATE God's love to others and develop a heart for the world.
A *NEW* 40 Days BLOG will be developed so be on the lookout!
Pray for us, please, as we begin working on this campaign. In addition to this great campaign, we're hosting the 40 Days Deaf Conference with Jose Abenchuchan in October. Date: TBA!
Blessed Be His Name!!!
"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:11-12 (MSG)
Here's a refresher course that will get you excited about the upcoming campaign! What are God's Five Purposes in our life? Or the most important question, "What On Earth Am I Here For?"
WORSHIP: We were planned for God's pleasure!
FELLOWSHIP: We were formed for God's family!
DISCIPLESHIP: We were created to become like Christ!
MINISTRY: We were shaped for serving God!
EVANGELISM: We were made for a mission!
This is a way to help us keep God at the CENTER of our lives, CONNECT with fellow believers, CULTIVATE spiritual maturity and godly character, CONTRIBUTE something back by using their talents in ministry and COMMUNICATE God's love to others and develop a heart for the world.
A *NEW* 40 Days BLOG will be developed so be on the lookout!
Pray for us, please, as we begin working on this campaign. In addition to this great campaign, we're hosting the 40 Days Deaf Conference with Jose Abenchuchan in October. Date: TBA!
Blessed Be His Name!!!
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
God Is Above All Powers And All Kings
"For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods." Psalm 95:3
From the beginning of time there has not been a leader or a king who has even come close to affecting the world in the way that Jesus Christ has. Two thousand years after His death, burial and resurrection, the lives of millions of people continue to be transformed as they receive His love and forgiveness.
HE IS ABOVE ALL NATURE AND ALL CREATED THINGS!
HE IS ABOVE ALL WISDOM AND ALL THE WAYS OF MAN!
HE IS ABOVE ALL KINGDOMS, ABOVE ALL THRONES!
HE IS ABOVE ALL WONDERS THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN!
HE IS ABOVE ALL WEALTH AND TREASURES OF THE EARTH!
THERE'S NO WAY TO MEASURE WHAT YOU'RE WORTH!
CRUCIFIED!
LAID BEHIND THE STONE!
LIVED TO DIE!
REJECTED AND ALONE!
LIKE A ROSE TRAMPLED ON THE GROUND!
Those seven words only begin to portray how something so pure and beautiful could be so crudely discarded by the very ones to who the gift was given..
YOU TOOK THE FALL....
AND THE THOUGHT OF ME....
ABOVE ALL!!
Oh Father, how great is Your love for us. You would give the dearest thing to Your heart as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind that we might know You and have relationship with the "ABOVE ALL!" Help us, Lord, to somehow understand the weight of what You did for us. May we surrender our hearts and forever place You... "ABOVE ALL!!!" Amen!
From the beginning of time there has not been a leader or a king who has even come close to affecting the world in the way that Jesus Christ has. Two thousand years after His death, burial and resurrection, the lives of millions of people continue to be transformed as they receive His love and forgiveness.
HE IS ABOVE ALL NATURE AND ALL CREATED THINGS!
HE IS ABOVE ALL WISDOM AND ALL THE WAYS OF MAN!
HE IS ABOVE ALL KINGDOMS, ABOVE ALL THRONES!
HE IS ABOVE ALL WONDERS THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN!
HE IS ABOVE ALL WEALTH AND TREASURES OF THE EARTH!
THERE'S NO WAY TO MEASURE WHAT YOU'RE WORTH!
CRUCIFIED!
LAID BEHIND THE STONE!
LIVED TO DIE!
REJECTED AND ALONE!
LIKE A ROSE TRAMPLED ON THE GROUND!
Those seven words only begin to portray how something so pure and beautiful could be so crudely discarded by the very ones to who the gift was given..
YOU TOOK THE FALL....
AND THE THOUGHT OF ME....
ABOVE ALL!!
Oh Father, how great is Your love for us. You would give the dearest thing to Your heart as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind that we might know You and have relationship with the "ABOVE ALL!" Help us, Lord, to somehow understand the weight of what You did for us. May we surrender our hearts and forever place You... "ABOVE ALL!!!" Amen!
Monday, March 28, 2005
Easter Sunday Syndrome
Wow! What a weekend we had, again! God, bless those who came before You, yesterday, to worship You and Your Son, Jesus Christ! I must say that Jesus really ROCKED the world! There's nothing else on earth that is like Him! Nothing here compares You because You are magnificent!! God, thank You for sending Your Son, not only to die for our sins, but to lead us to You with a compassionate heart! Again, Jesus, You made our hearts burn with a loving desire to love You!
We're now overcoming what I am calling it, "Easter Sunday Syndrome" (ESS). I am saying this in a very positive way, though it is mind-boggling! A week of hectic planning and prayer. Saturday's Easter Eggstravaganza with our three precious girls. The deaf ladies involved in a monthly fellowship called LANO (Ladies' Night Out) and me being Mr. Mom. NCAA basketball tournament (Go Louisville! Because the last time they won a championship was 1986!), studying and meditating on His Word for the Sunday services, then Sunday, serving 40 in attendance during class and 62 in worship, POTLUCK (where we build and strengthen His church in fellowship), took the girls to DQ for ice cream then I headed 35 miles north to Frederick for an evening deaf worship with the Marylanders! I must say that there's nothing else I would want to do than these!! These things surely fills our souls and we feel the blessedness from God!
In addition to the ESS, I have been keeping an eye on the progresses regarding the Schiavo family. I read about a Catholic priest, after giving Terri the last rites, that he could only give a drop of wine (representing Christ's blood) and not the bread because Terri's mouth is severely dehydrated. I have been watching Terri's parents go to almost every door seeking justification, even all the way to the Supreme court. Now, they have run out of doors to run to and face the worse possible scenario. This just brings me pain in my heart because I, for one, do not make the call. If there was a "living will" made out by Terri, then watching her die might be much easier. But do we truly have the right to take away "life" that God breathed into us, even if it is our own life? Starvation is a painful, miserable and torturous way to die!
I read that President Bush said something like this is a very complex issue and when in doubt, it is better to rule on the side of life. I understand what he is saying and I partially agree. But still, I wonder if what Terri has been doing for the last 15 years is really living. Then again, who am I to make that call? I have had the privilege of knowing several mentally and physically handicapped people who had more "life" in them than some of the "normal" grey faced expressionless people I see on Sunday mornings! Do we have the right to say that the existence of life is or is not justified by it's quality? I am very glad this is not my call! It is my prayer that when, after Terri passes on, that we all will, in the nation watching the Schiavo issue, come to a place of peace soon!
It made me think of "death". I see "death" like a peaceful welcoming friend. It puts an end to the suffering we're enduring: alzheimers, parkinsons and all kinds of cancer. But the most important thing before passing through death's door is: have you put on Jesus in baptism, trusting Him and walking with Him in obedience?
We're now overcoming what I am calling it, "Easter Sunday Syndrome" (ESS). I am saying this in a very positive way, though it is mind-boggling! A week of hectic planning and prayer. Saturday's Easter Eggstravaganza with our three precious girls. The deaf ladies involved in a monthly fellowship called LANO (Ladies' Night Out) and me being Mr. Mom. NCAA basketball tournament (Go Louisville! Because the last time they won a championship was 1986!), studying and meditating on His Word for the Sunday services, then Sunday, serving 40 in attendance during class and 62 in worship, POTLUCK (where we build and strengthen His church in fellowship), took the girls to DQ for ice cream then I headed 35 miles north to Frederick for an evening deaf worship with the Marylanders! I must say that there's nothing else I would want to do than these!! These things surely fills our souls and we feel the blessedness from God!
In addition to the ESS, I have been keeping an eye on the progresses regarding the Schiavo family. I read about a Catholic priest, after giving Terri the last rites, that he could only give a drop of wine (representing Christ's blood) and not the bread because Terri's mouth is severely dehydrated. I have been watching Terri's parents go to almost every door seeking justification, even all the way to the Supreme court. Now, they have run out of doors to run to and face the worse possible scenario. This just brings me pain in my heart because I, for one, do not make the call. If there was a "living will" made out by Terri, then watching her die might be much easier. But do we truly have the right to take away "life" that God breathed into us, even if it is our own life? Starvation is a painful, miserable and torturous way to die!
I read that President Bush said something like this is a very complex issue and when in doubt, it is better to rule on the side of life. I understand what he is saying and I partially agree. But still, I wonder if what Terri has been doing for the last 15 years is really living. Then again, who am I to make that call? I have had the privilege of knowing several mentally and physically handicapped people who had more "life" in them than some of the "normal" grey faced expressionless people I see on Sunday mornings! Do we have the right to say that the existence of life is or is not justified by it's quality? I am very glad this is not my call! It is my prayer that when, after Terri passes on, that we all will, in the nation watching the Schiavo issue, come to a place of peace soon!
It made me think of "death". I see "death" like a peaceful welcoming friend. It puts an end to the suffering we're enduring: alzheimers, parkinsons and all kinds of cancer. But the most important thing before passing through death's door is: have you put on Jesus in baptism, trusting Him and walking with Him in obedience?
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
60 Days With God
Good evening, Nikaos (conquerors!)!
I have added a new link on the right hand side of your computer screen. It's a great site to visit daily, for 60 Days, to commune with God in prayer! Come and visit my blog and click on the "60 Days With God" link!
Today, I read my favorite book, Romans, and came to this verse:
"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted." Romans 6:17 (NIV) In the English Version for the Deaf (EVD) it quotes: "In the past you were slaves to sin - sin controlled you. But thank God, you fully obeyed the things that were taught to you."
As I read this powerful verse, I think of a lion or lions in a circus ring being extremely submissive to the master with a chair and whip. You can see these hungry lions drooling over man-meat! I can imagine they would do anything to get such meat in their mouths. But not when there's a simple chair and a whip! They are in full submission to them!
I can picture myself like a lion. We crave for the things of the world. Everything the world has to offer can really satisfy our hungry and thirsty soul. But that satisfaction won't last long. Oh no. You'll be back in the wild looking for something to satisfy your constant cravings!! But when we surrendered our lives to the Lord, we became submissive to the teachings of Jesus (Word) and the awareness of God's Thunder! The Bible to us is like a chair to the lions. And God's Thunder to us is like a whip to the lions!
So we ought to thank God for the "form of teaching" we're able to submit to leading us to a more joyful life! With this, I rejoice in the Lord! I thank God, everyday, and proudly proclaim that Jesus is my Lord. Thank you, God, for your Word (chair) and the sight of the whip (Your Thunder!)!
I have added a new link on the right hand side of your computer screen. It's a great site to visit daily, for 60 Days, to commune with God in prayer! Come and visit my blog and click on the "60 Days With God" link!
Today, I read my favorite book, Romans, and came to this verse:
"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted." Romans 6:17 (NIV) In the English Version for the Deaf (EVD) it quotes: "In the past you were slaves to sin - sin controlled you. But thank God, you fully obeyed the things that were taught to you."
As I read this powerful verse, I think of a lion or lions in a circus ring being extremely submissive to the master with a chair and whip. You can see these hungry lions drooling over man-meat! I can imagine they would do anything to get such meat in their mouths. But not when there's a simple chair and a whip! They are in full submission to them!
I can picture myself like a lion. We crave for the things of the world. Everything the world has to offer can really satisfy our hungry and thirsty soul. But that satisfaction won't last long. Oh no. You'll be back in the wild looking for something to satisfy your constant cravings!! But when we surrendered our lives to the Lord, we became submissive to the teachings of Jesus (Word) and the awareness of God's Thunder! The Bible to us is like a chair to the lions. And God's Thunder to us is like a whip to the lions!
So we ought to thank God for the "form of teaching" we're able to submit to leading us to a more joyful life! With this, I rejoice in the Lord! I thank God, everyday, and proudly proclaim that Jesus is my Lord. Thank you, God, for your Word (chair) and the sight of the whip (Your Thunder!)!
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Blessed Jesus
What a weekend we had!! My in-laws are in town from Lees Summit, Missouri visiting their beloved grandchildren! It is so nice to have them here to help Michelle and I have some time together. Michelle, after so many months, finally glued herself to me and was able to go to serve God with me. We had a great deaf worship services (two in Fairfax) and one in Frederick. In addition to this, we had our first "Purpose Driven Fairfax" or the acronym, "PDFX", Class 101 to both members and visitors learning the purpose in life at Fairfax as well as understanding where Fairfax stands. Finally, we arrived home late Sunday night after a long, long day with God!
As we were driving on the way home from Frederick (Maryland) on route 15, and as always, I was listening to the awesomely beautiful Zoe song, "Blessed Jesus" it brought tears of joy to my heart! Here are some of the words from this song:
Blessed Jesus, come to me,
Soothe my soul with rays of peace,
As I look to You alone,
Fill me with Your love.
Mountains high or valleys low,
You will never let me go,
By Your fountain let me drink,
Fill my thirsty soul.
Glorious, marvelous,
Grace that rescued me,
Holy, worthy,
Is the Lamb who died for me.
As I listen to this song, it surely filled my soul with God's goodness and love! It surely made me think of everyone of you in this world. It made me reach out to souls. I know I am nothing in this world without Jesus and neither are you. I want to tell each of you that we need Jesus in our lives. Without Jesus, we're are an empty soul heading for damnation. It is my prayer that everyone who believes... Let me emphasize this one here.. "..who believes.." not only simply believe in Him but doing the things God commands us to do. Evil is out there to cloud the hearts so they will not see all God "can" do for us! We continue to do things regardless, even proclaim we're a Christian. We continue to gossip, be a person filled with hate, envious, lusting for worldly satisfaction, and all kinds of impurity!! I am at loss for words when Christians continue to do these things without any remorse. Often, I kneel before God and ask Him to help those who are bitter and distraught.
Instead of soaking ourselves into the ways of evil, we are to soak ourselves into the blessedness of Jesus. With that blessedness, as we hold on to Him, He holds on to us! We're filled with his love. Our thirsty soul is filled with God's grace. As I sing and continue to sing this song in my heart, I reach out to all of you in prayer, praying that God will help each of you lead a blessed life full of joy and peace.
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule." Matthew 5:3 (MSG)
As we were driving on the way home from Frederick (Maryland) on route 15, and as always, I was listening to the awesomely beautiful Zoe song, "Blessed Jesus" it brought tears of joy to my heart! Here are some of the words from this song:
Blessed Jesus, come to me,
Soothe my soul with rays of peace,
As I look to You alone,
Fill me with Your love.
Mountains high or valleys low,
You will never let me go,
By Your fountain let me drink,
Fill my thirsty soul.
Glorious, marvelous,
Grace that rescued me,
Holy, worthy,
Is the Lamb who died for me.
As I listen to this song, it surely filled my soul with God's goodness and love! It surely made me think of everyone of you in this world. It made me reach out to souls. I know I am nothing in this world without Jesus and neither are you. I want to tell each of you that we need Jesus in our lives. Without Jesus, we're are an empty soul heading for damnation. It is my prayer that everyone who believes... Let me emphasize this one here.. "..who believes.." not only simply believe in Him but doing the things God commands us to do. Evil is out there to cloud the hearts so they will not see all God "can" do for us! We continue to do things regardless, even proclaim we're a Christian. We continue to gossip, be a person filled with hate, envious, lusting for worldly satisfaction, and all kinds of impurity!! I am at loss for words when Christians continue to do these things without any remorse. Often, I kneel before God and ask Him to help those who are bitter and distraught.
Instead of soaking ourselves into the ways of evil, we are to soak ourselves into the blessedness of Jesus. With that blessedness, as we hold on to Him, He holds on to us! We're filled with his love. Our thirsty soul is filled with God's grace. As I sing and continue to sing this song in my heart, I reach out to all of you in prayer, praying that God will help each of you lead a blessed life full of joy and peace.
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule." Matthew 5:3 (MSG)
Friday, March 18, 2005
The Quest To Bring Whole Will of God!
Yesterday, Dirk Albrecht and I had a great meeting discussing the future deaf work in Frederick (MD). You may check the site at: www.fcoc.org/msdc/index.htm We discussed all kinds of things over breakfast. We prayed together. We studied the Scriptures. Dirk taught me a number of things regarding the deaf souls in the Maryland area, especially Frederick.
We know God desires every soul to surrender their lives to Him and walk like Jesus. It hurts us to see people go to church but leave untouched by the power of God's Word through the minister's message. It's very important that we leave with a Seed (Word) in our hearts and allow it to work around our life. This way, we will better understand what His will is! Paul warned the Christians in Ephesus, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV) When people live their lives as Christians but their walk is not according to His will, the light is no longer visible, the salt has lost its taste. No one sees anything different in the person. No one sees the will of God in the person.
"For I have not hesitate to proclaim to you the whole will of God." Acts 20:27 (NIV)
It is our desire to bring the whole will of God to the whole person in the whole world to wholly please God! Sadly, 2 percent of the Christians in every church do this!!! That's an alarming number. It is very important that we walk on the foundation of Jesus Christ. When we do this, we're fixing our eyes and hearts on His commands and they will tell us what the Lord desires us to do. As long as we're, daily, doing the Lord's will, we're walking on a level ground. Otherwise, we're sinking in a sinking sand that cannot hold us up toward heaven! We're drifting away from God because we're simply too busy to share His will with others.
"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground." Psalm 143:10 (NIV)
When we allow God to teach us His will, then we will have a strong desire to pass this wonderful gift to others in the world. So please continue to pray for the deaf work in Frederick!
Blessed Be His Name!
We know God desires every soul to surrender their lives to Him and walk like Jesus. It hurts us to see people go to church but leave untouched by the power of God's Word through the minister's message. It's very important that we leave with a Seed (Word) in our hearts and allow it to work around our life. This way, we will better understand what His will is! Paul warned the Christians in Ephesus, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV) When people live their lives as Christians but their walk is not according to His will, the light is no longer visible, the salt has lost its taste. No one sees anything different in the person. No one sees the will of God in the person.
"For I have not hesitate to proclaim to you the whole will of God." Acts 20:27 (NIV)
It is our desire to bring the whole will of God to the whole person in the whole world to wholly please God! Sadly, 2 percent of the Christians in every church do this!!! That's an alarming number. It is very important that we walk on the foundation of Jesus Christ. When we do this, we're fixing our eyes and hearts on His commands and they will tell us what the Lord desires us to do. As long as we're, daily, doing the Lord's will, we're walking on a level ground. Otherwise, we're sinking in a sinking sand that cannot hold us up toward heaven! We're drifting away from God because we're simply too busy to share His will with others.
"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground." Psalm 143:10 (NIV)
When we allow God to teach us His will, then we will have a strong desire to pass this wonderful gift to others in the world. So please continue to pray for the deaf work in Frederick!
Blessed Be His Name!
Desperate For You
Desperation can drive us almost as much as it can drive us crazy. Desperate people are passionate people. Christians, obedient Christians, are living lives of quiet desperation that lies deep inside the heart of their souls. It is so deep that it is hard to explain our love for God. We breathe the air He created. We also breathe the Spirit of God!
If you've had a ceaseless ache in the center of your heart, you know the depths of the word, "DESPERATE". Desperate people ache for fulfillment. And they'll go to any lengths to get it. Desperation isn't limited to one thing, though we can be extremely desperate for all kinds of thing. I believe the most important thing that most of us are desperately seeking is "answers". Why are we alive? Why are we hurting? Why are we passionate? Why do we hate? That's the only thing that could ever commit us to passionate searches.
Though, we have the desperation while living in this world, God has the desperation that we long to seek Him. He wants us as much as we want Him. What better inspiration for the journey we're on?
Desperation is the crux of worship. Crux means, "The central or critical point." It is our "DAILY" longing to know God more, to know ourselves more, to understand pain and joy, to live lives of fullness and wonder. It is the very core of our being that desperately reach out to God - the only one who can reach us where we are and bring us everything we want and desperate of, NEED.
May our journey be a never-ending run toward the One waiting desperately to hold you in His arms, teach you His ways, and love you into being the soul you were always meant to be...
D4U, Lord!!!
Sing with me:
This is the air I breathe,
This is the air I breathe,
Your holy presence living in me.
This is the air I breathe....
This is my daily bread,
This is my daily bread,
Your very Word spoken to me,
This is my daily bread....
I'm desperate for You,
I'm desperate for You,
I'm lost without You, Lord,
I'm desperate for You...
Do I hear an, "Amen!?" Amen!
If you've had a ceaseless ache in the center of your heart, you know the depths of the word, "DESPERATE". Desperate people ache for fulfillment. And they'll go to any lengths to get it. Desperation isn't limited to one thing, though we can be extremely desperate for all kinds of thing. I believe the most important thing that most of us are desperately seeking is "answers". Why are we alive? Why are we hurting? Why are we passionate? Why do we hate? That's the only thing that could ever commit us to passionate searches.
Though, we have the desperation while living in this world, God has the desperation that we long to seek Him. He wants us as much as we want Him. What better inspiration for the journey we're on?
Desperation is the crux of worship. Crux means, "The central or critical point." It is our "DAILY" longing to know God more, to know ourselves more, to understand pain and joy, to live lives of fullness and wonder. It is the very core of our being that desperately reach out to God - the only one who can reach us where we are and bring us everything we want and desperate of, NEED.
May our journey be a never-ending run toward the One waiting desperately to hold you in His arms, teach you His ways, and love you into being the soul you were always meant to be...
D4U, Lord!!!
Sing with me:
This is the air I breathe,
This is the air I breathe,
Your holy presence living in me.
This is the air I breathe....
This is my daily bread,
This is my daily bread,
Your very Word spoken to me,
This is my daily bread....
I'm desperate for You,
I'm desperate for You,
I'm lost without You, Lord,
I'm desperate for You...
Do I hear an, "Amen!?" Amen!
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Fall Down In Prayer
We humbly ask all to please remember Diana Raykovich and her family in your prayers. Diana was diagnosed with cancer over a year ago and has made numerous trips to the hospital for chemo, fatigue, and many other problems. The chemo has been making her so sick that she hasn't the energy to fight with it. It seems the chemo wants to charge ahead against cancer when her body just simply gave up. She has been off chemo for some time now and her cancer has rapidly progressed! She, according to a couple of people, have a week to ten days left to live. Several members have visited her at the hospital. We visited her yesterday and I asked Diana if she is ready to go. She said, "Yes.. I am just tired.."
I didn't know what to say after that. She does seems ready to depart from this earth. Please continue to pray that God will be with her and continue to be with her through until the end. Also, pray for her family has they cope with this. Let's fall down before God in prayer not only for this but for just about everything in life: commitment, eternal life, love, service, unity, forgiveness, peace, protection, blessings and countless of things that we need to pray for. In addition to this, we fall down before God in awe after learning that six souls have buried their lives in the Lord in baptism: Leslie and Monica Suhr in Frederick, Al Reins in Fairfax and two hearing visitors at Fairfax! One deaf lady may soon be baptized this weekend or next week so the Lord continues to pour out his love on us!!
Brothers and sisters, let's fall down in prayer!
I didn't know what to say after that. She does seems ready to depart from this earth. Please continue to pray that God will be with her and continue to be with her through until the end. Also, pray for her family has they cope with this. Let's fall down before God in prayer not only for this but for just about everything in life: commitment, eternal life, love, service, unity, forgiveness, peace, protection, blessings and countless of things that we need to pray for. In addition to this, we fall down before God in awe after learning that six souls have buried their lives in the Lord in baptism: Leslie and Monica Suhr in Frederick, Al Reins in Fairfax and two hearing visitors at Fairfax! One deaf lady may soon be baptized this weekend or next week so the Lord continues to pour out his love on us!!
Brothers and sisters, let's fall down in prayer!
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
About Prayer - Dennis' BLOG
Jesus Teaches His Disciples About Prayer
Notice the order in this prayer. First, Jesus praised God, then he made his requests. Praising God first put us in the right frame of mind to tell him about our needs. Too often our prayers are more like shopping lists than conversations.
I must say that this is a wow, especially when you read Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37 and Ephesians 4:32! Please check this out at: http://denniscesone.blogspot.com.
Thanks, Dennis! Praise God for your love and encouragement helping us to live a prayer life!
Notice the order in this prayer. First, Jesus praised God, then he made his requests. Praising God first put us in the right frame of mind to tell him about our needs. Too often our prayers are more like shopping lists than conversations.
I must say that this is a wow, especially when you read Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37 and Ephesians 4:32! Please check this out at: http://denniscesone.blogspot.com.
Thanks, Dennis! Praise God for your love and encouragement helping us to live a prayer life!
Immeasurable Proportions
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)
How often do we kneel before God in prayer for His church? To kneel before God shows your humility before God. You aren't you. If you don't get my meaning, it means your life is not yours, but Christ's. (Gal. 2:20) There is a responsibility of every Christian alive in this world today! A responsibility to care for another brother or sister in His church. Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thess. 5:11 (NIV) God desires Christians to encourage and build rather than to condemn and tear. Though, God does instruct a Christian to condemn the sin the person has done. So what was Paul's prayer to the Ephesians that we ought to pray for every single soul in the church that devotes his/her life to God? We ought to pray:
1. That the Spirit will strengthen you through your faith in God.
"May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." 1 Thess. 3:13 (NIV)
2. That we will be rooted and established in love. Let me say this again, "LOVE!"
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (NIV) Just as Jesus gave His love (agape) by sacrificing His life for the world, we show our love (agape) but thinking of others more than ourselves. We commend, encourage, praise, instruct, persuade and embrace every person in His church. The question is, "How rooted and established in love are you?" You may think that you know God ("..can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I AM NOTHING!" 1 Cor. 13:2) but you may not have the love God wants you to have. That's why we move to the final point (#3).
3. That we understand that love is much greater than knowledge.
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9 (NIV)
When we love, we fall in love with the person like we fell in love with Jesus because of His sacrificial love for us! When a person ceases to show love, there's no fullness of God in the person. When there's no spiritual growth in a certain soul, he/she contaminates the body of Christ, the church from growth.
Brothers and sisters, take your heart out of your life and examine it. How full is it with God's love that it pours out onto others in the church and the world? Whatever is stored in your heart, comes out of your mouth and hands? Jesus quoted it perfectly:
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 (NIV)
It was Paul's prayer that the churches of Christ during His time would be strengthened, rooted, established, deepened, lengthened, heightened, widened in God's love to an awesomely, immeasureable proportions!! Now, it is my prayer that all the churches of Christ/Christians today grow toward that immeasureable proportions! Impossible? It is if you don't allow God to work in your hearts but I don't think it's impossible because...
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
Is God working in your life? Are, what you do in the church, glorifying God? Will the future generations remember the example of Jesus you gave? Does the world see you "..rooted and established in love.."? Please, humbly, kneel before God and ask Him to continue to work in your life today and lead you onward toward immeasureable proportions!
How often do we kneel before God in prayer for His church? To kneel before God shows your humility before God. You aren't you. If you don't get my meaning, it means your life is not yours, but Christ's. (Gal. 2:20) There is a responsibility of every Christian alive in this world today! A responsibility to care for another brother or sister in His church. Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thess. 5:11 (NIV) God desires Christians to encourage and build rather than to condemn and tear. Though, God does instruct a Christian to condemn the sin the person has done. So what was Paul's prayer to the Ephesians that we ought to pray for every single soul in the church that devotes his/her life to God? We ought to pray:
1. That the Spirit will strengthen you through your faith in God.
"May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." 1 Thess. 3:13 (NIV)
2. That we will be rooted and established in love. Let me say this again, "LOVE!"
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (NIV) Just as Jesus gave His love (agape) by sacrificing His life for the world, we show our love (agape) but thinking of others more than ourselves. We commend, encourage, praise, instruct, persuade and embrace every person in His church. The question is, "How rooted and established in love are you?" You may think that you know God ("..can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I AM NOTHING!" 1 Cor. 13:2) but you may not have the love God wants you to have. That's why we move to the final point (#3).
3. That we understand that love is much greater than knowledge.
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9 (NIV)
When we love, we fall in love with the person like we fell in love with Jesus because of His sacrificial love for us! When a person ceases to show love, there's no fullness of God in the person. When there's no spiritual growth in a certain soul, he/she contaminates the body of Christ, the church from growth.
Brothers and sisters, take your heart out of your life and examine it. How full is it with God's love that it pours out onto others in the church and the world? Whatever is stored in your heart, comes out of your mouth and hands? Jesus quoted it perfectly:
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 (NIV)
It was Paul's prayer that the churches of Christ during His time would be strengthened, rooted, established, deepened, lengthened, heightened, widened in God's love to an awesomely, immeasureable proportions!! Now, it is my prayer that all the churches of Christ/Christians today grow toward that immeasureable proportions! Impossible? It is if you don't allow God to work in your hearts but I don't think it's impossible because...
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
Is God working in your life? Are, what you do in the church, glorifying God? Will the future generations remember the example of Jesus you gave? Does the world see you "..rooted and established in love.."? Please, humbly, kneel before God and ask Him to continue to work in your life today and lead you onward toward immeasureable proportions!
Monday, March 07, 2005
SURRENDERED SOULS
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Last night was awesome! Dirk and Camille Albrecht invited a long time friend from Pennsylvania, Leslie and Monica Suhr, to Frederick church for the evening deaf worship. We didn't have a handful of people last night. We know God has plans for this church, but the question is always this, "When, Lord?". :) He is surely a patient God and we need to possess the same attitude of "patience". It is the Lord who had it all planned so we await for His plans to unfold in Frederick.
Speaking of how awesome it was last night was because the Lord did something amazing!! Camille persuaded Leslie to talk to me about baptism and the conversation started. I am not going to go into great details about this. His wife, Monica, was never baptized. In the past, she received Jesus (in her heart) and that was it. I figured that they need time with me for Bible study to make sure they understand the importance of living their life for Jesus after they give their lives to Him in baptism (personal death/sacrifice).
The Lord wasn't finished with this.
He (seemed to me) prompted Dirk to ask me a question, "Mark, why do we have to wait another week or two to study with them? I have known them for a long time and they are lovers of the Lord!" Leslie and Monica was already clad in coats and ready to leave. And I looked at Dirk thinking perhaps this is the time of the Lord's favor. We had Leslie and Monica return to discuss further about their desire to give their lives to Him in full surrender and follow Jesus daily! After careful study and questioning, the Lord pierced their hearts and they gave their lives to the Lord in baptism and now clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27)! We praised God for His hand in this. We praised God for His providence! We praised God for two new additions into His Kingdom! He is forever awesome!
Welcome to the family, Leslie and Monica! We love you and pray for you all! Keep following Jesus using His Word! And thank You, Lord, for Your power and love! We love You! You're awesome!
"Rejoice! Rejoice! And I say it again, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
Last night was awesome! Dirk and Camille Albrecht invited a long time friend from Pennsylvania, Leslie and Monica Suhr, to Frederick church for the evening deaf worship. We didn't have a handful of people last night. We know God has plans for this church, but the question is always this, "When, Lord?". :) He is surely a patient God and we need to possess the same attitude of "patience". It is the Lord who had it all planned so we await for His plans to unfold in Frederick.
Speaking of how awesome it was last night was because the Lord did something amazing!! Camille persuaded Leslie to talk to me about baptism and the conversation started. I am not going to go into great details about this. His wife, Monica, was never baptized. In the past, she received Jesus (in her heart) and that was it. I figured that they need time with me for Bible study to make sure they understand the importance of living their life for Jesus after they give their lives to Him in baptism (personal death/sacrifice).
The Lord wasn't finished with this.
He (seemed to me) prompted Dirk to ask me a question, "Mark, why do we have to wait another week or two to study with them? I have known them for a long time and they are lovers of the Lord!" Leslie and Monica was already clad in coats and ready to leave. And I looked at Dirk thinking perhaps this is the time of the Lord's favor. We had Leslie and Monica return to discuss further about their desire to give their lives to Him in full surrender and follow Jesus daily! After careful study and questioning, the Lord pierced their hearts and they gave their lives to the Lord in baptism and now clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27)! We praised God for His hand in this. We praised God for His providence! We praised God for two new additions into His Kingdom! He is forever awesome!
Welcome to the family, Leslie and Monica! We love you and pray for you all! Keep following Jesus using His Word! And thank You, Lord, for Your power and love! We love You! You're awesome!
"Rejoice! Rejoice! And I say it again, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
Sunday, March 06, 2005
As True Worshiper
"Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God's way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming--it has, in fact, come--when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. "It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship." John 4:21-23 (MSG)
Worship is life. To daily worship God (24/7), we're channelling our relationship with the Father through His Son. We have a bond. Like marriage, a bond that shall not be broken, forged, or tainted. God has been set as our number one priority in life! There's no other name that we worship but the Name of the Lord. This is the kind of people God is looking for, for those who are "simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship."
I worship (at least I wish to!) with every breath, every thought, every endeavor, and every longing of my heart. True worship surely should be total, full, 100%! As "true worshiper" (John 4:21-23), if my worship flows out of my relationship with a Father who loves me unconditionally, then it surely would be foolish to do anything without reference to the One who gave me everything at the cost of His own Glorious Son, and ultimately all for His glory and NOT MINE! Though incredibly His glory brings me more pleasure than anything else in the world!
A person that does the will of God (according to His Word) is a person God sees "As True Worshiper."
"If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." John 7:17 (NIV)
Worship is life. To daily worship God (24/7), we're channelling our relationship with the Father through His Son. We have a bond. Like marriage, a bond that shall not be broken, forged, or tainted. God has been set as our number one priority in life! There's no other name that we worship but the Name of the Lord. This is the kind of people God is looking for, for those who are "simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship."
I worship (at least I wish to!) with every breath, every thought, every endeavor, and every longing of my heart. True worship surely should be total, full, 100%! As "true worshiper" (John 4:21-23), if my worship flows out of my relationship with a Father who loves me unconditionally, then it surely would be foolish to do anything without reference to the One who gave me everything at the cost of His own Glorious Son, and ultimately all for His glory and NOT MINE! Though incredibly His glory brings me more pleasure than anything else in the world!
A person that does the will of God (according to His Word) is a person God sees "As True Worshiper."
"If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." John 7:17 (NIV)
Sunday, February 27, 2005
What Ground?
A thought you and I should be thinking everyday, especially when we come together to worship the One we love and obey! In regards to church (coming together to worship, to study, to pray, to fellowship) is it:
A PLAYGROUND
Do we come to church to mingle around with our favorite person, share a few laughs and news, let the Scriptures fly over our head, and heartlessly worship God then say, "This is better than sitting at home and doing nothing.."? Nothing pierces our hearts. We didn't return home with joy knowing that the Word of God has been planted in our hearts and that the Seed is working to change our thoughts and attitudes as I live my daily life every week! In other words, these are people living a "hypocritical" life. Hypocrites, in greek, HUPOKRITES, means "actors". They are merely acting (playing) out a role "pretending" they are Christians who loves and obeys God.
A BATTLEGROUND
Do we come to church to cause an argument, division, favoritism, irritate one another? Do we pose a bad example to, not only the family of God, but to those who come to seek a Savior in their lives? Those who constantly cause bitterness and quarrels gives no room for church growth. They hinder the faith of another, especially young Christians. We may argue and nag about a certain incident and cease to come together to praise God. This is an area where Satan loves to come in and disrupt our love and devotion we give to the Lord.
"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NIV)
A HOLY GROUND
Just as Moses approached the burning bush, the Lord spoke, "Do not come any closer," God said, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:5(NIV) The Spirit in us is persuading us to fulfill the will of God. The question is, "Are we the walking Bible?" Do we do what the Bible says? Are we in obedience of the Lord's command? Are we faithfully serving out His will? The Lord desires us to worship Him, not only on Sunday but everyday. We ought to come together as if we're standing on the Holy Ground before our Awesome God and worship Him with praise, adoration, honor and thanksgiving for His Son who died so we be free from sin and have a "loving relationship" with Him!
So what ground are you standing on?
A playground?
A battleground?
OR THE HOLY GROUND?
A PLAYGROUND
Do we come to church to mingle around with our favorite person, share a few laughs and news, let the Scriptures fly over our head, and heartlessly worship God then say, "This is better than sitting at home and doing nothing.."? Nothing pierces our hearts. We didn't return home with joy knowing that the Word of God has been planted in our hearts and that the Seed is working to change our thoughts and attitudes as I live my daily life every week! In other words, these are people living a "hypocritical" life. Hypocrites, in greek, HUPOKRITES, means "actors". They are merely acting (playing) out a role "pretending" they are Christians who loves and obeys God.
A BATTLEGROUND
Do we come to church to cause an argument, division, favoritism, irritate one another? Do we pose a bad example to, not only the family of God, but to those who come to seek a Savior in their lives? Those who constantly cause bitterness and quarrels gives no room for church growth. They hinder the faith of another, especially young Christians. We may argue and nag about a certain incident and cease to come together to praise God. This is an area where Satan loves to come in and disrupt our love and devotion we give to the Lord.
"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NIV)
A HOLY GROUND
Just as Moses approached the burning bush, the Lord spoke, "Do not come any closer," God said, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:5(NIV) The Spirit in us is persuading us to fulfill the will of God. The question is, "Are we the walking Bible?" Do we do what the Bible says? Are we in obedience of the Lord's command? Are we faithfully serving out His will? The Lord desires us to worship Him, not only on Sunday but everyday. We ought to come together as if we're standing on the Holy Ground before our Awesome God and worship Him with praise, adoration, honor and thanksgiving for His Son who died so we be free from sin and have a "loving relationship" with Him!
So what ground are you standing on?
A playground?
A battleground?
OR THE HOLY GROUND?
Monday, February 21, 2005
Blooming Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
This Scripture ought to move and excite a child of God! So exciting that we want to be rooted in Him, deeply! The "fruit of the Spirit" which has a tendency to make Christians agreeable to one another and this was very suitable to the caution or exhortation he had before given (Galatians 5:13), that they should "..not use their liberty as an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.."
God exhorts us to:
Love: love God and love our neighbors
Joy: this is much better than happiness, a delight in God regardless of any circumstances
Peace: with God and conscience and in behavior toward one another
Patience: this refrains from anger
Kindness: courteous, and easy to be under restraint when any have wronged us
Goodness: a readiness to do good to others (all) as we have the opportunity
Faithfulness: justice and honesty; in what we profess and promise to others
Gentleness: this governs our passion and resentments
Self-control: depending on the circumstances, do not in excessiveness and immoderate in use of them.
Let's pray:
Lord, grower of spiritual fruit,
Let the fruit of the Spirit blossom, mature, and ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these.
Let me possess them!
Since I belong to Christ, I have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Let me live by the Spirit.
Let me walk by the Spirit!
Let me show no self-conceit, give no provocation, have no envy toward anyone else.
Let me live in, through, and for Christ Jesus, as he lives in, through, and for me and his whole church.
In the name of Jesus I ask you to perfect us, whatever that may take, and give us the grace to endure your renovation process so that the Spirit in every faithful Christian may bloom!
Amen!
This Scripture ought to move and excite a child of God! So exciting that we want to be rooted in Him, deeply! The "fruit of the Spirit" which has a tendency to make Christians agreeable to one another and this was very suitable to the caution or exhortation he had before given (Galatians 5:13), that they should "..not use their liberty as an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.."
God exhorts us to:
Love: love God and love our neighbors
Joy: this is much better than happiness, a delight in God regardless of any circumstances
Peace: with God and conscience and in behavior toward one another
Patience: this refrains from anger
Kindness: courteous, and easy to be under restraint when any have wronged us
Goodness: a readiness to do good to others (all) as we have the opportunity
Faithfulness: justice and honesty; in what we profess and promise to others
Gentleness: this governs our passion and resentments
Self-control: depending on the circumstances, do not in excessiveness and immoderate in use of them.
Let's pray:
Lord, grower of spiritual fruit,
Let the fruit of the Spirit blossom, mature, and ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these.
Let me possess them!
Since I belong to Christ, I have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Let me live by the Spirit.
Let me walk by the Spirit!
Let me show no self-conceit, give no provocation, have no envy toward anyone else.
Let me live in, through, and for Christ Jesus, as he lives in, through, and for me and his whole church.
In the name of Jesus I ask you to perfect us, whatever that may take, and give us the grace to endure your renovation process so that the Spirit in every faithful Christian may bloom!
Amen!
Friday, February 18, 2005
Change Your Lives
"Shameless people, change your lives before you become like a dry and dying flower. In the heat of day, a flower will wilt and die. You will be like that when the Lord shows his terrible anger. So change your lives before the Lord shows his anger against you! All you humble people, come to the Lord! Obey his laws. Learn to do good things. Learn to be humble. Maybe then you will be safe when the Lord shows his anger." Zephaniah 2:1-3 (EVD)
Zephaniah was an Old Testament prophet known for quoting, "The Day of the Lord is coming.." (NIV); "Because the Lord's day for judging the people is coming soon!" (EVD). Zephaniah, most of you probably have never read this part of the Old Testament prophecy, had confronted God's people, Israel (Jerusalem) with rebuke and encouragement. Yet, Israel continued on to sin against God. If you read the next chapter, "Jerusalem, your people fought against God! Your people hurt other people, and you have been stained with sin! Your people didn't listen to me! They didn't accept my teachings. Jerusalem didn't trust the Lord. Jerusalem didn't go to her God." Zephaniah 3:1-2 (EVD)
If you remember, at the beginning of this Blog, the Lord had a conversation with Zephaniah about a "flower" that may, again with emphasis, "may" fall and wilt. This is very similar to the teachings of Jesus when He told His disciples the parable of a Sower in Matthew 13. If you fix your eyes on one Scripture, "But when the sun rose, it burned the plants. The plants died because they did not have deep roots." (6) We understand the seed as the Word of God. The soil is our heart. So it all depends on your heart: hard, rocky, infested with weeds or soft. God had to deal with the heart of Israel. Their hearts were hard as they fought against the command of God. They refused to listen to the prophets of the Lord Most High. See how Jesus felt when He approached Jerusalem:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Matthew 23:37 (NIV)
My! Jesus knows the heart of God's people. He weeps for them. He aches in His heart because of their ignorance. They aren't understanding the whole point of God's divine plan. They didn't take His Word deep in their hearts.
What happens, then, when people remain "unchanged" in their hearts. "The Lord said, "So just wait! Wait for me to stand and judge you! I have the right to bring people from many nations and use them to punish you..." Zephaniah 3:8 (EVD) But when we do change our hearts and keep on changing for the glory of God, "Then, Jerusalem, you will no longer be ashamed of the bad things your people do against me. Why? Because I will remove all of those bad people from Jerusalem. I will take away all of those proud people on my holy mountain. I will let only meek and humble people stay in my city (Jerusalem). And they will trust the Lord's name. The survivors of Israel won't do bad things." Zehpaniah 3:11-13a (EVD)
"All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." Matthew 25:32 (NIV)
When we live a constantly changing lives for the glory of our Lord, the Lord is with us. He loves a heart that keeps on changing for Him. When we learn and accept His teachings, His teaching changes our attitudes and hearts. When we help other people make good decisions, this shows we're different from the world. When we fear the Lord, we show a changing lifestyle. God wants us to respect Him and His Word.
"The Lord your God is with you. He is like a powerful soldier. He will save you. He will show how much he loves you. He will show you how happy he is with you. He will laught and be happy about you, like people at a party." Zephaniah 3:17-18 (EVD)
When we show a "changing life" before the world, the world will return to the Lord with praise! Change your lives, people!
Zephaniah was an Old Testament prophet known for quoting, "The Day of the Lord is coming.." (NIV); "Because the Lord's day for judging the people is coming soon!" (EVD). Zephaniah, most of you probably have never read this part of the Old Testament prophecy, had confronted God's people, Israel (Jerusalem) with rebuke and encouragement. Yet, Israel continued on to sin against God. If you read the next chapter, "Jerusalem, your people fought against God! Your people hurt other people, and you have been stained with sin! Your people didn't listen to me! They didn't accept my teachings. Jerusalem didn't trust the Lord. Jerusalem didn't go to her God." Zephaniah 3:1-2 (EVD)
If you remember, at the beginning of this Blog, the Lord had a conversation with Zephaniah about a "flower" that may, again with emphasis, "may" fall and wilt. This is very similar to the teachings of Jesus when He told His disciples the parable of a Sower in Matthew 13. If you fix your eyes on one Scripture, "But when the sun rose, it burned the plants. The plants died because they did not have deep roots." (6) We understand the seed as the Word of God. The soil is our heart. So it all depends on your heart: hard, rocky, infested with weeds or soft. God had to deal with the heart of Israel. Their hearts were hard as they fought against the command of God. They refused to listen to the prophets of the Lord Most High. See how Jesus felt when He approached Jerusalem:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Matthew 23:37 (NIV)
My! Jesus knows the heart of God's people. He weeps for them. He aches in His heart because of their ignorance. They aren't understanding the whole point of God's divine plan. They didn't take His Word deep in their hearts.
What happens, then, when people remain "unchanged" in their hearts. "The Lord said, "So just wait! Wait for me to stand and judge you! I have the right to bring people from many nations and use them to punish you..." Zephaniah 3:8 (EVD) But when we do change our hearts and keep on changing for the glory of God, "Then, Jerusalem, you will no longer be ashamed of the bad things your people do against me. Why? Because I will remove all of those bad people from Jerusalem. I will take away all of those proud people on my holy mountain. I will let only meek and humble people stay in my city (Jerusalem). And they will trust the Lord's name. The survivors of Israel won't do bad things." Zehpaniah 3:11-13a (EVD)
"All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." Matthew 25:32 (NIV)
When we live a constantly changing lives for the glory of our Lord, the Lord is with us. He loves a heart that keeps on changing for Him. When we learn and accept His teachings, His teaching changes our attitudes and hearts. When we help other people make good decisions, this shows we're different from the world. When we fear the Lord, we show a changing lifestyle. God wants us to respect Him and His Word.
"The Lord your God is with you. He is like a powerful soldier. He will save you. He will show how much he loves you. He will show you how happy he is with you. He will laught and be happy about you, like people at a party." Zephaniah 3:17-18 (EVD)
When we show a "changing life" before the world, the world will return to the Lord with praise! Change your lives, people!
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
I Will Sing
Good morning! What a beautiful day it was yesterday, despite that most of us have stayed inside working. I am up early this morning (5:20 a.m.) letting a girl of a single mother inside. We're helping her by getting her daughter to school each morning, except Thursday and Friday. She is now re-catching some Z-z's before the rooster crows at 6:30 a.m..
Today, will you sing with me? I love to sing songs to the Lord! It's a wonderful way to express our love to God. He loves to hear our hearts sing to Him. We pour it out before Him with adoration and praise. I am reading Don Moen's article about singing. Thought you will enjoy this just as I did! Here it goes:
****
When you're privileged to do what I do, to travel around the country and minister to others through worship, you see a lot of church signs. And depending on what neck of the woods you're in, some signs just don't make a lot of sense to those passing by. Like the one I saw out in front of a beautiful white clapboard chapel on a state highway in Louisiana. It said, "Today's Sermon: the Word of God." Trouble was, besides the obvious fact that all sermons should be based on the Bible, I passed that sign on a Thursday. That sermon was long finished."
Another sign I saw recently confused me. It read: "Potluck Revival, Sunday-Wednesday." I'm still not sure if that church was having a revival or a four-day buffet.
But one church sign seems to be cropping up more than others these days:
"Sinners Welcome Here."
And everytime I see one, I think: "Thank the Lord for just telling it like it is."
The only difference between the sinners inside churches and the sinners outside churches is the amazing grace and forgiveness of God. The saints really are sinners who still fall down, but by the outstretched arm of a merciful God, we get up again. And again.......
Trouble is, too many Christians think that they have to be worthy to worship the Lord. Many walk through the work week feeling that God is far away. They don't try to pray because they're not convinced He's listening. And besides, the anger and fear and doubt that consume their thoughts isn't really the stuff you're supposed to tell God about, right?
Few things are farther from the truth. Psalm 145:18 says, "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." You can - in fact, God wants you to - tell Him what you really think. To be honest about what's going on in your life and in your heart. He already knows what's going on anyway, but He longs for you to tell Him all the same.
THE REALITY: is that everyone goes through days when we feel God is far away. There's a phoniness in some Christian circles that says you don't admit that. But just look at Psalm 109 where David - the sweet psalmist of Israel who said, "I will bless the Lord at all times" - tells God all about his fear and doubt, in no uncertain terms. Why is David so bold? Because he couldn't be anything but honest before the Lord. That's what God wants in our worship - our spirit and our truth.
The truth really does set us free. Free to worship with our whole hearts.
****
And "Free to sing praise, sing praise, sing praise before our loving God!" We worship because God is worthy and that is the only reason we need. He is Holy and we're made holy through His Son. He is Worthy and we're made worthy through the sacrifice of Jesus. He is Mighty and Jesus is mighty to save us from condemnation. That's why we worship Him. That's why we praise Him. But in the last few years there are some things I have been thinking and this you ought. God uses worship to prepare our hearts to receive ministry, to prepare us to minister to others, and I believe that many battles are won in the spiritual realm when we worship. Amen? When we worship Him in spirit and truth, people who don't know God are drawn to Him! And because of God, I will sing!
I WILL SING by Don Moen
Lord, You seem so far away..
A million miles or more it feels today..
And through I haven't lost my faith..
I must confess right now..
That it's hard for me to pray..
But I don't know what to say..
And I don't know where to start..
But as You give the grace..
With all that's in my heart..
I will sing, I will praise..
Even in my darkest hour..
Through the sorrow and the pain..
I will sing, I will praise..
Lift my hands to honor You..
Because Your Word is truth..
I.... will...... sing.........
Be desperate Nike of God!
Today, will you sing with me? I love to sing songs to the Lord! It's a wonderful way to express our love to God. He loves to hear our hearts sing to Him. We pour it out before Him with adoration and praise. I am reading Don Moen's article about singing. Thought you will enjoy this just as I did! Here it goes:
****
When you're privileged to do what I do, to travel around the country and minister to others through worship, you see a lot of church signs. And depending on what neck of the woods you're in, some signs just don't make a lot of sense to those passing by. Like the one I saw out in front of a beautiful white clapboard chapel on a state highway in Louisiana. It said, "Today's Sermon: the Word of God." Trouble was, besides the obvious fact that all sermons should be based on the Bible, I passed that sign on a Thursday. That sermon was long finished."
Another sign I saw recently confused me. It read: "Potluck Revival, Sunday-Wednesday." I'm still not sure if that church was having a revival or a four-day buffet.
But one church sign seems to be cropping up more than others these days:
"Sinners Welcome Here."
And everytime I see one, I think: "Thank the Lord for just telling it like it is."
The only difference between the sinners inside churches and the sinners outside churches is the amazing grace and forgiveness of God. The saints really are sinners who still fall down, but by the outstretched arm of a merciful God, we get up again. And again.......
Trouble is, too many Christians think that they have to be worthy to worship the Lord. Many walk through the work week feeling that God is far away. They don't try to pray because they're not convinced He's listening. And besides, the anger and fear and doubt that consume their thoughts isn't really the stuff you're supposed to tell God about, right?
Few things are farther from the truth. Psalm 145:18 says, "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." You can - in fact, God wants you to - tell Him what you really think. To be honest about what's going on in your life and in your heart. He already knows what's going on anyway, but He longs for you to tell Him all the same.
THE REALITY: is that everyone goes through days when we feel God is far away. There's a phoniness in some Christian circles that says you don't admit that. But just look at Psalm 109 where David - the sweet psalmist of Israel who said, "I will bless the Lord at all times" - tells God all about his fear and doubt, in no uncertain terms. Why is David so bold? Because he couldn't be anything but honest before the Lord. That's what God wants in our worship - our spirit and our truth.
The truth really does set us free. Free to worship with our whole hearts.
****
And "Free to sing praise, sing praise, sing praise before our loving God!" We worship because God is worthy and that is the only reason we need. He is Holy and we're made holy through His Son. He is Worthy and we're made worthy through the sacrifice of Jesus. He is Mighty and Jesus is mighty to save us from condemnation. That's why we worship Him. That's why we praise Him. But in the last few years there are some things I have been thinking and this you ought. God uses worship to prepare our hearts to receive ministry, to prepare us to minister to others, and I believe that many battles are won in the spiritual realm when we worship. Amen? When we worship Him in spirit and truth, people who don't know God are drawn to Him! And because of God, I will sing!
I WILL SING by Don Moen
Lord, You seem so far away..
A million miles or more it feels today..
And through I haven't lost my faith..
I must confess right now..
That it's hard for me to pray..
But I don't know what to say..
And I don't know where to start..
But as You give the grace..
With all that's in my heart..
I will sing, I will praise..
Even in my darkest hour..
Through the sorrow and the pain..
I will sing, I will praise..
Lift my hands to honor You..
Because Your Word is truth..
I.... will...... sing.........
Be desperate Nike of God!
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Born Once, Die Twice; Born Twice, Die Once
"And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence the earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged, everyone of them according to their deeds... and death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15).
Last weekend, Michelle and I watched a movie, "Luther" based on the life of Martin Luther during the 15th century (1517). My, it was a good movie! You can feel the thermostat rise in your very bodies when Luther constant tries to persuade the Catholics to reform their ways and rely on the truths of the Bible. But the Catholics turned against him calling him a heretic asking him to "recant" which means to take back what he has said and stick with their doctrine, or otherwise be condemned to death. Luther has shown tremendous faith confronting the papacy, even unto death! We highly recommend that you rent this DVD movie, "Luther"! I would like to share with you an article (one of hundreds of articles written by Luther) emphasizing the importance of baptism. Here's what Luther wrote:
What is baptism? Answer: Baptism is not merely water, but it is water used according to God's command and connected with God's word. What gifts or benefits does baptism bestow? Answer: It effects forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and grants eternal salvation to all who believe, as the Word and promise of God declare. How can water produce such effects? Answer: It is not the water that produces these effects, but the word of God connected with the water, and our faith relies upon the word of God connected with the water. For without the word of God, the water is merely water and not baptism. But when connected with the word of God the water is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Spirit."
-The Smaller Catechism; Martin Luther; 1529 A.D.
"Born Once - Die Twice"
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord." (Romans 6:23). There are several states referred to as "death" in the Bible. There is "physical death". This is the one we usually mean by the term. The Bible points out that the physical body is dead when the spirit separates from it (James 2:26).
There is also "spiritual death". This is the state that describes sinners who are separated from God by their sins (Ephesians 2:1;12). It was in this sense that Adam and Eve died in the very day they disobeyed God. They died spiritually, and also became subject to physical death.
Finally, there is the "second death". This is the eternal state of alienation from God described in Revelation 20:11-15; the "lake of fire". There is much we do not know about this last state mentioned, but we do know enough to understand that it would be the worst tragedy to suffer such a plight. There are many passages which describe the "second death" (Revelation 21:8; 20:10; 14:9-11; Mark 9:42-48; Matthew 25:30,41,46; 22:13).
"Born Twice - Die Once"
Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Truly, truly I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... unless one is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:3,5). The way to avoid the second death is to be a partaker in the second birth! Jesus said that there were two necessary parts in being "born again". He referred to it as "being born of the water and the Spirit".
Later, following His resurrection, He will send out the apostles to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:18-20, cf. Mark 16:15,16). Obeying His commands, the apostles taught the believers on the day of Pentecost to "repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:37,38). When the Ethiopian nobleman heard the gospel and then saw some water, he expressed the desire to be baptized in the water, and subsequently was (Acts 8:35-39). Saul of Tarsus was told, "Arise, and be baptized, washing away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16). This is how "baptism does also now save (us)" (1 Peter 3:20,21).
Therefore, we're born once (natural birth), die twice (spiritual and physical death); born twice (natural and spiritual birth), die once (physical death).
Last weekend, Michelle and I watched a movie, "Luther" based on the life of Martin Luther during the 15th century (1517). My, it was a good movie! You can feel the thermostat rise in your very bodies when Luther constant tries to persuade the Catholics to reform their ways and rely on the truths of the Bible. But the Catholics turned against him calling him a heretic asking him to "recant" which means to take back what he has said and stick with their doctrine, or otherwise be condemned to death. Luther has shown tremendous faith confronting the papacy, even unto death! We highly recommend that you rent this DVD movie, "Luther"! I would like to share with you an article (one of hundreds of articles written by Luther) emphasizing the importance of baptism. Here's what Luther wrote:
What is baptism? Answer: Baptism is not merely water, but it is water used according to God's command and connected with God's word. What gifts or benefits does baptism bestow? Answer: It effects forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and grants eternal salvation to all who believe, as the Word and promise of God declare. How can water produce such effects? Answer: It is not the water that produces these effects, but the word of God connected with the water, and our faith relies upon the word of God connected with the water. For without the word of God, the water is merely water and not baptism. But when connected with the word of God the water is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Spirit."
-The Smaller Catechism; Martin Luther; 1529 A.D.
"Born Once - Die Twice"
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord." (Romans 6:23). There are several states referred to as "death" in the Bible. There is "physical death". This is the one we usually mean by the term. The Bible points out that the physical body is dead when the spirit separates from it (James 2:26).
There is also "spiritual death". This is the state that describes sinners who are separated from God by their sins (Ephesians 2:1;12). It was in this sense that Adam and Eve died in the very day they disobeyed God. They died spiritually, and also became subject to physical death.
Finally, there is the "second death". This is the eternal state of alienation from God described in Revelation 20:11-15; the "lake of fire". There is much we do not know about this last state mentioned, but we do know enough to understand that it would be the worst tragedy to suffer such a plight. There are many passages which describe the "second death" (Revelation 21:8; 20:10; 14:9-11; Mark 9:42-48; Matthew 25:30,41,46; 22:13).
"Born Twice - Die Once"
Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Truly, truly I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... unless one is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:3,5). The way to avoid the second death is to be a partaker in the second birth! Jesus said that there were two necessary parts in being "born again". He referred to it as "being born of the water and the Spirit".
Later, following His resurrection, He will send out the apostles to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:18-20, cf. Mark 16:15,16). Obeying His commands, the apostles taught the believers on the day of Pentecost to "repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:37,38). When the Ethiopian nobleman heard the gospel and then saw some water, he expressed the desire to be baptized in the water, and subsequently was (Acts 8:35-39). Saul of Tarsus was told, "Arise, and be baptized, washing away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16). This is how "baptism does also now save (us)" (1 Peter 3:20,21).
Therefore, we're born once (natural birth), die twice (spiritual and physical death); born twice (natural and spiritual birth), die once (physical death).
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Open
"My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises." Psalm 119:148
When you close your eyes, what do you see? Nothing. Pitch black. No color of any kind. No picture. No abstracts. No perspective. If we close the eyes of our heart, can you explain the seriousness of this condition?
When we contemplate Scripture, God's very personal message to us, it moves our hearts toward Him - sometimes it even inspires a song! It enables us to look up and see with "spiritual eyes" instead of focusing on ourselves and earthly problems. It corrects our "perspective".
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. " 2 Corinthians 4:16
When our "spiritual eyes" are closed shut, we do not understand the troubles we're wrestling with. We cannot grasp that God's love is greater than our pain. We do not kneel before God to help us in our time of great need. And we don't understand all that life is!
I encourage you, as you go through your daily routine, to keep a portion of Scripture - whether it's what you've read, heard from a minister, discussed with a friend, or heard in a song - in your thoughts. Put is down on a Post-it note on your car dashboard or on the mirror in your bathroom or on the refrigerator door. Remind yourself of it regularly. What does it really mean? How can you apply it to your life? Pray that the Lord will enlighten you and bring appropriate verses to mind as you need them, especially during a time of trouble.
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord,
Open the eyes of my heart,
I want to see You...
I want to see You...
To see You high and lifted up,
Shining in the midst of Your glory,
Lord, pour our Your power and love,
As we sing, Holy, Holy, Holy....
Beautiful song! One of my favorite! Not only do we want our "eyes open" to see God's truth in Scripture and in the world, but as this prayerful song says, we want to see God for who He is and understand Him as fully as we can with all of our earthly struggles and limitations.
Let's pray: Lord, we long "..to see You high and lifted up.." and "..shining in the midst of Your glory!" We humbly ask that You, "..pour out Your power and love, as we sing, 'Holy, Holy, Holy..'" I can't imagine closing my "spiritual eyes" before You and walk blindly the rest of my earthly life. I pray that, not only me but the rest of those who loves You, will stand in awe of Your beautiful light through Your Word and the examples of the faithful. We must fall down to our knees, bowed down in humility - overwhelmed by gratitude and amazement at the thought of You wanting us to know You and have fellowship with You!
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want to see You.
When you close your eyes, what do you see? Nothing. Pitch black. No color of any kind. No picture. No abstracts. No perspective. If we close the eyes of our heart, can you explain the seriousness of this condition?
When we contemplate Scripture, God's very personal message to us, it moves our hearts toward Him - sometimes it even inspires a song! It enables us to look up and see with "spiritual eyes" instead of focusing on ourselves and earthly problems. It corrects our "perspective".
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. " 2 Corinthians 4:16
When our "spiritual eyes" are closed shut, we do not understand the troubles we're wrestling with. We cannot grasp that God's love is greater than our pain. We do not kneel before God to help us in our time of great need. And we don't understand all that life is!
I encourage you, as you go through your daily routine, to keep a portion of Scripture - whether it's what you've read, heard from a minister, discussed with a friend, or heard in a song - in your thoughts. Put is down on a Post-it note on your car dashboard or on the mirror in your bathroom or on the refrigerator door. Remind yourself of it regularly. What does it really mean? How can you apply it to your life? Pray that the Lord will enlighten you and bring appropriate verses to mind as you need them, especially during a time of trouble.
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord,
Open the eyes of my heart,
I want to see You...
I want to see You...
To see You high and lifted up,
Shining in the midst of Your glory,
Lord, pour our Your power and love,
As we sing, Holy, Holy, Holy....
Beautiful song! One of my favorite! Not only do we want our "eyes open" to see God's truth in Scripture and in the world, but as this prayerful song says, we want to see God for who He is and understand Him as fully as we can with all of our earthly struggles and limitations.
Let's pray: Lord, we long "..to see You high and lifted up.." and "..shining in the midst of Your glory!" We humbly ask that You, "..pour out Your power and love, as we sing, 'Holy, Holy, Holy..'" I can't imagine closing my "spiritual eyes" before You and walk blindly the rest of my earthly life. I pray that, not only me but the rest of those who loves You, will stand in awe of Your beautiful light through Your Word and the examples of the faithful. We must fall down to our knees, bowed down in humility - overwhelmed by gratitude and amazement at the thought of You wanting us to know You and have fellowship with You!
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want to see You.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Become!
I don't know about you but I believe yesterday's worship was awesome, especially when we all knelt before the One before time! I don't know about you but when I asked the congregation to kneel before God and knelt before Him, I felt the fresh outpouring of the Spirit come into me! I could feel the transformation in me and I pray that is true for each of you!
It is all mysterious! When we kneel before Him, we declare that He is God: pure, holy, blameless, magnificent, ultimate, beyond decay, awesome, and reigning high on His throne with His Son, Jesus, on the right! We humble ourselves before Him declaring His majesty. When we kneel, we ask to constantly transform us into the likeness of His Son, Jesus. But in the world we live, we're exposed with all kinds of evil portraits that invades the very eyes of our soul and eventually creeps into the very core of our hearts. The heart is where transformation begins. However, Satan clouds the channel we may have with God poisoning our eyes with doubts and confusion slowing the transformation process.
In the world, there's so much hatred passing through the channel leading toward our hearts. Instead, we need to ignore such evil and train our eyes on LOVE. Often, we hear this, "God is love." "For God so loved the world He..." "He loved us and gave Himself for us.." How many times, in the Bible, did the word, "LOVE" appear? Count the stars in the sky? You can't? Then that's how many there are in the Bible. You cannot destroy love. You can't even create it. To get love, it had to come from the source of love itself, and it slowly but surely seeps its way through every inch and pore of our beings. And through its power, it transforms everything it touches into the workings of His will. God, the lover, becomes Love itself.
God's gift of love to the world is: JESUS! It is far beyond our imagination! It is a breathtaking realization: IT WILL NEVER GO AWAY! Love never, will never leave you. You couldn't shake it if you tried. Yes, about Jesus! A man lashed onto a tree (cross). The desperate cry of "My God, why did You forsake Me!". The sun leaving the sky, unable to bear the sight below. God painted on that sorry, lonely hill, when all of love seems to have forever vanished! But it was not. It could not be destroyed. And just as He said it would, three days later, love transformed death into one empty tomb of life!
So we have this one great hope that the love (Jesus) in you will forever transform you, whether you struggle in its clutches or bask in its comfort, that everything dead in you can gloriously rise each new day into the wonderful new life, forgetting what "Yesterday" did! There's always a New Beginning! Only Jesus can provide that when we humbly kneel before Him and ask Him to help us Become Jesus!
It is all mysterious! When we kneel before Him, we declare that He is God: pure, holy, blameless, magnificent, ultimate, beyond decay, awesome, and reigning high on His throne with His Son, Jesus, on the right! We humble ourselves before Him declaring His majesty. When we kneel, we ask to constantly transform us into the likeness of His Son, Jesus. But in the world we live, we're exposed with all kinds of evil portraits that invades the very eyes of our soul and eventually creeps into the very core of our hearts. The heart is where transformation begins. However, Satan clouds the channel we may have with God poisoning our eyes with doubts and confusion slowing the transformation process.
In the world, there's so much hatred passing through the channel leading toward our hearts. Instead, we need to ignore such evil and train our eyes on LOVE. Often, we hear this, "God is love." "For God so loved the world He..." "He loved us and gave Himself for us.." How many times, in the Bible, did the word, "LOVE" appear? Count the stars in the sky? You can't? Then that's how many there are in the Bible. You cannot destroy love. You can't even create it. To get love, it had to come from the source of love itself, and it slowly but surely seeps its way through every inch and pore of our beings. And through its power, it transforms everything it touches into the workings of His will. God, the lover, becomes Love itself.
God's gift of love to the world is: JESUS! It is far beyond our imagination! It is a breathtaking realization: IT WILL NEVER GO AWAY! Love never, will never leave you. You couldn't shake it if you tried. Yes, about Jesus! A man lashed onto a tree (cross). The desperate cry of "My God, why did You forsake Me!". The sun leaving the sky, unable to bear the sight below. God painted on that sorry, lonely hill, when all of love seems to have forever vanished! But it was not. It could not be destroyed. And just as He said it would, three days later, love transformed death into one empty tomb of life!
So we have this one great hope that the love (Jesus) in you will forever transform you, whether you struggle in its clutches or bask in its comfort, that everything dead in you can gloriously rise each new day into the wonderful new life, forgetting what "Yesterday" did! There's always a New Beginning! Only Jesus can provide that when we humbly kneel before Him and ask Him to help us Become Jesus!
Friday, February 04, 2005
PERSEVERE!
"Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds." Hosea 6:1
I hate it when I sin against God! And I know you do, too! It is the pain that helps us understand that there's more to life than itself! Pain is good, sways us from things that are life-threatening. If I get a cut, no matter how nasty it is, quickly I take the piece of my flesh away from it and hold it to keep it from bleeding. Then I soothe it with some ointment and cover it with some bandages to prevent an infection. Then the wound heals, scar is visible for a while then vanishes!
What is interesting is that an injury that is serious leaves a visible scar as a reminder to learn from whatever caused it as a precaution that we don't do it again. Other injury that doesn't leave a scar often becomes a repetition, even though we learned not to injure ourselves again, we do it anyways!
It is the same with sin. Most of our sins appears so small that we repeat it all over again. But a sin that appears to great that it leaves a scar in your heart, it persuades you to refrain from such sin.
So suffering will always be in the world where we live. You may say, "As for me, I don't want it. Suffering, that is. I don't want to have to spend hours running from it. And if it did catch up to me, I wouldn't care to take any lessons from it. If the rules mean I have to go through hell to learn something, I'd rather just read about it in a book. Unfortunately, yet again, I am not in charge here."
Then God came near. "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains." wrote C.S. Lewis, and that perhaps is more a reflection of our human character than it is of God's best plan for reaching His creations (that's us!). If we'd listen to His whisper when everything was rosy, it wouldn't take a megaphone of pain to get our attention. But why and how He chooses even to speak to us in the first place still remains a mystery. And how pain could be His calling card - a greater one still.
Explain the Holocaust?
Explain the Twin Towers in New York?
Explain the Tsunami?
Explain our own pain we're trying to endure?
Did it make anyone strong? If it did, I can't imagine that it was worth the price. Consider this, "Surely he bore our sorrows.." writes Isaiah, and surely He did see suffering from both its side. As a man He walked and wept with every broken heart that met His gaze, and as a Messiah on the cross! We crushed Him! Our sins crushed Him. We crushed Him with our evil hearts! We crushed Him with every evil intention we thought and have done! He suffered and persevered from the garden to the cross! Instead of Jesus sending legions of angels to destroy us, He made us stronger. We killed Him and He made us stronger to persevere through our own trials!
God works in mysterious ways!
I hate it when I sin against God! And I know you do, too! It is the pain that helps us understand that there's more to life than itself! Pain is good, sways us from things that are life-threatening. If I get a cut, no matter how nasty it is, quickly I take the piece of my flesh away from it and hold it to keep it from bleeding. Then I soothe it with some ointment and cover it with some bandages to prevent an infection. Then the wound heals, scar is visible for a while then vanishes!
What is interesting is that an injury that is serious leaves a visible scar as a reminder to learn from whatever caused it as a precaution that we don't do it again. Other injury that doesn't leave a scar often becomes a repetition, even though we learned not to injure ourselves again, we do it anyways!
It is the same with sin. Most of our sins appears so small that we repeat it all over again. But a sin that appears to great that it leaves a scar in your heart, it persuades you to refrain from such sin.
So suffering will always be in the world where we live. You may say, "As for me, I don't want it. Suffering, that is. I don't want to have to spend hours running from it. And if it did catch up to me, I wouldn't care to take any lessons from it. If the rules mean I have to go through hell to learn something, I'd rather just read about it in a book. Unfortunately, yet again, I am not in charge here."
Then God came near. "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains." wrote C.S. Lewis, and that perhaps is more a reflection of our human character than it is of God's best plan for reaching His creations (that's us!). If we'd listen to His whisper when everything was rosy, it wouldn't take a megaphone of pain to get our attention. But why and how He chooses even to speak to us in the first place still remains a mystery. And how pain could be His calling card - a greater one still.
Explain the Holocaust?
Explain the Twin Towers in New York?
Explain the Tsunami?
Explain our own pain we're trying to endure?
Did it make anyone strong? If it did, I can't imagine that it was worth the price. Consider this, "Surely he bore our sorrows.." writes Isaiah, and surely He did see suffering from both its side. As a man He walked and wept with every broken heart that met His gaze, and as a Messiah on the cross! We crushed Him! Our sins crushed Him. We crushed Him with our evil hearts! We crushed Him with every evil intention we thought and have done! He suffered and persevered from the garden to the cross! Instead of Jesus sending legions of angels to destroy us, He made us stronger. We killed Him and He made us stronger to persevere through our own trials!
God works in mysterious ways!
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Check it out!
Brother Cesone posted a neat blog called, "Ten Things God Never Says..". Thanks to Dennis for posting this for us.
http://denniscesone.blogspot.com
http://denniscesone.blogspot.com
Remember His Grace
My what a month we had (January)! We had two snowy (and icy) weekends in a row resulting in one Sunday postponement and one Sunday cancellation. It sure makes me thirsty and hungry when I miss the important day of the week, worshipping God! Though, we couldn't come to praise Him altogether, we continue to praise Him from home. That was more of an appetizer to us. Worship is a main course and fellowship is our dessert! Oh, how we need God to soak our soul with His loving grace! That's what I am going to talk about today! GRACE!
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect." 1 Cor. 15:10
Someone saw a bumper sticker on an old car that says, "GRACE HAPPENS". You can imagine how many words on the bumper stickers fills in the blank before "happens" like, "----------- HAPPENS". I have seen a bumper sticker says, "HAPPENS HAPPENS". But this one, "GRACE HAPPENS" meant so much more!
I read a article regarding the powerful word, "GRACE". It reads like this,
***
"A plane goes down and the newscaster, without emotion, can read the numbers of people who won't go home again. People with bombs bigger than their ideas randomly pick a building and take it and all the people in it away in one awful blast. And innocents die, and love ends, and life remains eternally unfair. And we wonder, for the millionth time, why bad things have to happen, even to strangers - because we know it just as easily could be us.
But grace tiptoes along more silently and invisibly than those clanging chimes of doom. The kindness of a stranger streaks its light across our room; mercy is in the middle of the heart of someone whose forgiveness we beg; another plane bursts through the air, defies all laws of ground and gravity, and brings home the one we love most. And when that good happens, we forget to ask why. The One we easily blame and whine to for all the bad is still the Giver of all good things who never gives up trying to show us the miracle of just being alive."
***
The real grace for you and me is - God opening our ears to hear the music of life buzzing around us and widening our eyes to the ever-present, extravagant light of His love. God's grace happens everywhere - even in a traffic jam on I-66 and 495 in Virginia! The jam that left you with nothing to do but read every bumper sticker or license plate that surrounds you. Remember to look for Him while you're there. Don't forget to honk if you love what they're displaying on the back of their car!
Remember His grace - all day, everyday! And, in addition to that, remember you're a NIKE of God! Those with great faith are more than conquerors of the Holy One!
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect." 1 Cor. 15:10
Someone saw a bumper sticker on an old car that says, "GRACE HAPPENS". You can imagine how many words on the bumper stickers fills in the blank before "happens" like, "----------- HAPPENS". I have seen a bumper sticker says, "HAPPENS HAPPENS". But this one, "GRACE HAPPENS" meant so much more!
I read a article regarding the powerful word, "GRACE". It reads like this,
***
"A plane goes down and the newscaster, without emotion, can read the numbers of people who won't go home again. People with bombs bigger than their ideas randomly pick a building and take it and all the people in it away in one awful blast. And innocents die, and love ends, and life remains eternally unfair. And we wonder, for the millionth time, why bad things have to happen, even to strangers - because we know it just as easily could be us.
But grace tiptoes along more silently and invisibly than those clanging chimes of doom. The kindness of a stranger streaks its light across our room; mercy is in the middle of the heart of someone whose forgiveness we beg; another plane bursts through the air, defies all laws of ground and gravity, and brings home the one we love most. And when that good happens, we forget to ask why. The One we easily blame and whine to for all the bad is still the Giver of all good things who never gives up trying to show us the miracle of just being alive."
***
The real grace for you and me is - God opening our ears to hear the music of life buzzing around us and widening our eyes to the ever-present, extravagant light of His love. God's grace happens everywhere - even in a traffic jam on I-66 and 495 in Virginia! The jam that left you with nothing to do but read every bumper sticker or license plate that surrounds you. Remember to look for Him while you're there. Don't forget to honk if you love what they're displaying on the back of their car!
Remember His grace - all day, everyday! And, in addition to that, remember you're a NIKE of God! Those with great faith are more than conquerors of the Holy One!
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