I don't think we can be reminded enough of the danger of placing ourselves in a position to sin. When sin does come don't be too quick to point the finger at others or at the enemy. The Bible tells us in James that sin comes when we succumb to our own lust. The below comes from an e-mail group I'm on from Moody Bible Institute.
Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Reflecting on the strict family rules such as limitations on television viewing, early bedtimes, and no dessert without finishing dinner, a daughter complained to her father, “But the Johnson girls don’t have to follow these kinds of rules!” The father paused for a moment and then responded: “True, but the Johnson girls aren’t part of our family, and following the household rules is part of what it means to be my daughter.”
As Scripture has shown this month, God repeatedly expresses Himself in terms of parental imagery and boldly calls us His children. Many benefits come from this relationship with God, but sometimes we also need to be reminded that there are family responsibilities as well.
Today’s reading reminds us precisely of this truth by urging us to be separate from sin and from that which may cause us to sin. A string of reasons are given, each a balance of contrasts: there is no agreement between righteousness and wickedness, between light and dark, or between Christ and Belial.
Then, Scripture draws upon two further images as an underlying explanation for the believer’s need for separation from sin. First, the church is reminded that “we are the temple of the living God” (6:16). Because God has promised to live among us and be our God (cf. Lev. 26:12), we are made holy and must reflect that holiness in our lives.
Second, we are reminded of our familial relationship: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters” (6:18; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14). “Since,” as Scriptures declares, “we have these promises” (7:1), we have an obligation to live a certain way. It means something to be a child of God, not just in terms of the benefits we receive, but also in terms of the way we live in the world. We are part of a new family, and with that reality comes responsibility to pursue holiness and avoid sin.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Every Christian generation is faced with temptation to idolatry and disobedience. While we should make use of the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, Scripture, and participation in the services and ordinances of the church, today’s passage also offers an easily overlooked weapon against sin: separa-tion from the opportunity for sin (6:17). Do not intentionally put yourself in a position to be tempted. Ask God today for the strength to separate yourself from opportunities for temptation, that you might live “in reverence for” Him.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
You Will Know Them by Their Fruit
Hmmm, October 24th since my last post? Well, no need to rush into anything I guess.
Michael sent this to me the other day and I thought it was relevant to the world today and in our own family recently. Should we question? I think we watch, probe and correct wrong thinking. I personally, I'm sure there are many who disagree with me on this, never take someone at their word when they profess to being a believer. Usually it only takes a few simple non-offensive, we have to be PC...lol, questions to see where someone truly is in their relationship with Christ. Don't forget according to the latest stats, 85% of Americans are professing Christians, yet we kill more babies than any other civilized or third world country in the world. We also have this battle raging on the definition of marriage. Which again, no other civilized or third world country has even considered because not even animals in the wild mate with their own kind. I would think that would be simple if America was filled with that many believers. Anyway, I could get way off the topic heading in this direction.
Looking forward to hearing what people think on this.
Should We Question Professions of Faith? Quoting Mark Dever . . .
"Sometimes I get the feeling that people think there's something wrong with questioning the reality of a profession of faith. It's legalistic, or judging, or holier than thou. Or something. But if evangelists want to see lost sinners saved, and if evangelists know that we sinners can deceive ourselves, then it's not surprising that we want to try to make sure (with all appropriate qualifications about our limitedness) that conversions professed are conversions possessed. Or is it just sour-faced theologians who think about such things? Are preachers who think about such things unevangelistic?
Here's what one preacher said, reflecting on Jesus' parable of the sower and the soils.
"There are so many stony ground hearers, who receive the Word with joy, that I have determined to suspend my judgment till I know the tree by its fruits. I cannot believe they are converts until I see fruit brought back; it will never do a sincere soul any harm."
Does such a determination seem uncharitable or unevangelistic? What preacher would say such a thing? That was George Whitefield. I don't think George Whitefield was unevangelistic for wanting to know a tree by its fruit, and neither are we today. In fact, I think such a concern would actually help our churches to do more real evangelism. And besides, as Whitefield says, such caution "will never do a sincere soul any harm."
What should we do? Encourage the new believer in all things good. Remind them of the gospel. After some appropriate time (which would vary much from case to case) they should be baptized and join a church. They should regularly hear the preaching of the Word, commune, fellowship, pray and obey the Word. They should be building relationships in order to do that. And they should be told to hope in Christ alone for their salvation. Our desire is to find every professor getting safely home to heaven.
And then what about counting converts?
The final tally will be made by God in due time. And that's the only tally that matters. "
Michael sent this to me the other day and I thought it was relevant to the world today and in our own family recently. Should we question? I think we watch, probe and correct wrong thinking. I personally, I'm sure there are many who disagree with me on this, never take someone at their word when they profess to being a believer. Usually it only takes a few simple non-offensive, we have to be PC...lol, questions to see where someone truly is in their relationship with Christ. Don't forget according to the latest stats, 85% of Americans are professing Christians, yet we kill more babies than any other civilized or third world country in the world. We also have this battle raging on the definition of marriage. Which again, no other civilized or third world country has even considered because not even animals in the wild mate with their own kind. I would think that would be simple if America was filled with that many believers. Anyway, I could get way off the topic heading in this direction.
Looking forward to hearing what people think on this.
Should We Question Professions of Faith? Quoting Mark Dever . . .
"Sometimes I get the feeling that people think there's something wrong with questioning the reality of a profession of faith. It's legalistic, or judging, or holier than thou. Or something. But if evangelists want to see lost sinners saved, and if evangelists know that we sinners can deceive ourselves, then it's not surprising that we want to try to make sure (with all appropriate qualifications about our limitedness) that conversions professed are conversions possessed. Or is it just sour-faced theologians who think about such things? Are preachers who think about such things unevangelistic?
Here's what one preacher said, reflecting on Jesus' parable of the sower and the soils.
"There are so many stony ground hearers, who receive the Word with joy, that I have determined to suspend my judgment till I know the tree by its fruits. I cannot believe they are converts until I see fruit brought back; it will never do a sincere soul any harm."
Does such a determination seem uncharitable or unevangelistic? What preacher would say such a thing? That was George Whitefield. I don't think George Whitefield was unevangelistic for wanting to know a tree by its fruit, and neither are we today. In fact, I think such a concern would actually help our churches to do more real evangelism. And besides, as Whitefield says, such caution "will never do a sincere soul any harm."
What should we do? Encourage the new believer in all things good. Remind them of the gospel. After some appropriate time (which would vary much from case to case) they should be baptized and join a church. They should regularly hear the preaching of the Word, commune, fellowship, pray and obey the Word. They should be building relationships in order to do that. And they should be told to hope in Christ alone for their salvation. Our desire is to find every professor getting safely home to heaven.
And then what about counting converts?
The final tally will be made by God in due time. And that's the only tally that matters. "
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Parable of the Sower
God is so great. I was reading an article the other day and God showed me something I had overlooked so many times I was almost embarrassed to admit it. We have all read the parable of the sower I'm sure, but just in case you can't remember it I have posted it below;
Listen; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred.
(Mar 4:3-8)
I have used these verses so many times to illustrate a false convert and that false conversions are possible. Although a person can look and act the part of a Christian for a while in the end their true nature will prevail. The amazing thing about this parable is the fact that is has nothing to do with the false convert and everything to do with the sower. I feel that would be a fantastic reason for these verses to be labeled the parable of the sower.
So many times in American evangelism the attempt is made to try and coerce someone into believing or getting them to shake their head in agreement at the right time while reading certain verses with them as fast as you can so you can move on to the next person and get them to shake their heads. Our part in evangelism is not to get anyone to agree with anything we say and it's certainly not to play God or try and bring conviction, that is the part of the Holy Spirit. Our part in evangelism is simply to do as this parable instructs and sow seeds of the gospel. This sower didn't care what kind of ground the seed landed on he was only doing what he was commanded to do and that is to sow seed to every living creature. Sow the seeds and let God give the increase.
I hear people all the time say, I'm not sure what God's will is for my life. Or, I really want to do something for the Lord but I just don't what to do. May I suggest while your doing whatever it is you do to find God's will you start slinging as much seed out there as you can. Reach into your bag and start throwing seed and let it fall on whatever ground it will and let God be God.
How can crops grow unless a seed is planted, how can someone else water unless a seed is planted, how can God give the increase unless a seed is planted.
Be faithful, and fear not what man can do to you, but fear God. Jesus said the harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few.
Happy sowing.....
Listen; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred.
(Mar 4:3-8)
I have used these verses so many times to illustrate a false convert and that false conversions are possible. Although a person can look and act the part of a Christian for a while in the end their true nature will prevail. The amazing thing about this parable is the fact that is has nothing to do with the false convert and everything to do with the sower. I feel that would be a fantastic reason for these verses to be labeled the parable of the sower.
So many times in American evangelism the attempt is made to try and coerce someone into believing or getting them to shake their head in agreement at the right time while reading certain verses with them as fast as you can so you can move on to the next person and get them to shake their heads. Our part in evangelism is not to get anyone to agree with anything we say and it's certainly not to play God or try and bring conviction, that is the part of the Holy Spirit. Our part in evangelism is simply to do as this parable instructs and sow seeds of the gospel. This sower didn't care what kind of ground the seed landed on he was only doing what he was commanded to do and that is to sow seed to every living creature. Sow the seeds and let God give the increase.
I hear people all the time say, I'm not sure what God's will is for my life. Or, I really want to do something for the Lord but I just don't what to do. May I suggest while your doing whatever it is you do to find God's will you start slinging as much seed out there as you can. Reach into your bag and start throwing seed and let it fall on whatever ground it will and let God be God.
How can crops grow unless a seed is planted, how can someone else water unless a seed is planted, how can God give the increase unless a seed is planted.
Be faithful, and fear not what man can do to you, but fear God. Jesus said the harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few.
Happy sowing.....
Saturday, October 13, 2007
State Fair of Texas
I know this is a little late but to be honest I haven't logged on to blogger in quite some time. I would like to share a little of what God allowed me to be a part of last Saturday at the State Fair.
Four of us decided to go out to the fair to hand out tracts and witness as the Lord led. Between four of us we were able to hand out right at 600 gospel tracts. I know that is only a tiny fraction of the total number of people at the fair but I trust God that he had some of those people prepared to receive His word. I got to witness one on one with several people and or groups as well as preach to a group of about 8 college age girls sitting on a curb drunk as we were leaving. Most of them of course wanted nothing to do with what I had to say and thought I must be mistaken by talking about an Old Testament God that would pour out His wrath on the ungodly and unrighteous of the world. There was one girl however that I remember listening and shaking her head in agreement as I spoke. I pray God either opened her eyes to a life that may not be pleasing to God or that He revealed himself to her that her heart might be turned toward Him and He save her.
It has been a while since I have been out like this talking to people sharing my faith. I realized how much I missed it and how much it is needed. So many people out there believing they are saved because they have prayed a prayer or because a preacher or evangelist has told them they were saved yet their lives show no signs of repentance. So many people out there just waiting for someone to open their mouths and share the gospel with them. What a blessing it was to be used of God last Saturday to speak the truth to a few precious souls.
I want to encourage anyone reading this, don't be ashamed of the gospel. Don't fear what man can do to you. Don't fear what people will say to you or about you. Don't fear not having all the answers. When we fully lean on God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit He will bring to remembrance everything we need for that encounter. Don't preach or speak outside of the knowledge you have, be faithful with the truth you now have hidden in your heart.
Maybe you aren't comfortable or sure how to share your faith. If you live in the Cedar Creek Lake area I want to invite you to join me at Oak Street outreach in Eustace Tuesday's at 7:30 beginning on the 16th to learn the methods that Jesus used when talking with people. It is the same principals I use anytime I witness to someone. The address is 308 Oak Street in Eustace.
The Bible tells us in Romans 3:20 that no flesh is justified by the deeds of the Law. But that through the Law is the knowledge of sin. Galatians 3:24 says that the Law is our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Why has modern day evangelism employed alternative methods of pointing people to the Savior when the Bible says it's by the law a man see his need to be saved. Paul in Romans 7:7 said I would not have known covetousness was a sin unless the Law said thou shalt not covet. How did we go from the Law to an evangel cube???
Anyway, I could go on and on but I'll not at this time. I hope you will come join us as we learn to effectively share our faith. If you are already comfortable in your evangelism methods I pray you will redeem the time and share your faith with as many people as you can.
Four of us decided to go out to the fair to hand out tracts and witness as the Lord led. Between four of us we were able to hand out right at 600 gospel tracts. I know that is only a tiny fraction of the total number of people at the fair but I trust God that he had some of those people prepared to receive His word. I got to witness one on one with several people and or groups as well as preach to a group of about 8 college age girls sitting on a curb drunk as we were leaving. Most of them of course wanted nothing to do with what I had to say and thought I must be mistaken by talking about an Old Testament God that would pour out His wrath on the ungodly and unrighteous of the world. There was one girl however that I remember listening and shaking her head in agreement as I spoke. I pray God either opened her eyes to a life that may not be pleasing to God or that He revealed himself to her that her heart might be turned toward Him and He save her.
It has been a while since I have been out like this talking to people sharing my faith. I realized how much I missed it and how much it is needed. So many people out there believing they are saved because they have prayed a prayer or because a preacher or evangelist has told them they were saved yet their lives show no signs of repentance. So many people out there just waiting for someone to open their mouths and share the gospel with them. What a blessing it was to be used of God last Saturday to speak the truth to a few precious souls.
I want to encourage anyone reading this, don't be ashamed of the gospel. Don't fear what man can do to you. Don't fear what people will say to you or about you. Don't fear not having all the answers. When we fully lean on God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit He will bring to remembrance everything we need for that encounter. Don't preach or speak outside of the knowledge you have, be faithful with the truth you now have hidden in your heart.
Maybe you aren't comfortable or sure how to share your faith. If you live in the Cedar Creek Lake area I want to invite you to join me at Oak Street outreach in Eustace Tuesday's at 7:30 beginning on the 16th to learn the methods that Jesus used when talking with people. It is the same principals I use anytime I witness to someone. The address is 308 Oak Street in Eustace.
The Bible tells us in Romans 3:20 that no flesh is justified by the deeds of the Law. But that through the Law is the knowledge of sin. Galatians 3:24 says that the Law is our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Why has modern day evangelism employed alternative methods of pointing people to the Savior when the Bible says it's by the law a man see his need to be saved. Paul in Romans 7:7 said I would not have known covetousness was a sin unless the Law said thou shalt not covet. How did we go from the Law to an evangel cube???
Anyway, I could go on and on but I'll not at this time. I hope you will come join us as we learn to effectively share our faith. If you are already comfortable in your evangelism methods I pray you will redeem the time and share your faith with as many people as you can.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Things that make you go Hmm...
I have Way of the Master Minute set as my homepage and that's the reason I post a lot of their material. Today's message is so true of many in the church and if it is true in your own life, simply thank God for bringing it to mind, repent and do something about it. Time is so short, speaking of which, happy birthday to me....lol...
Truthfully though our life is but a vapor according to James and that includes the lost. If you aren't comfortable sharing your faith I would encourage to check out http://www.wayofthemaster.com/ you can learn to share the gospel as Jesus did. Remember this, the only thing we will take to heaven are the souls we point to Christ. If our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are perishing.
Charles Spurgeon said, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." He continued, "The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others. He will be like the brave fireman, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart. If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for."
We must have a burden for the lost, how can a Christian of all people be selfish and not warn others of the wrath to come?
September 19, 2007 Mere Lip Service from WOTM
Listen to what Nobel prize-winning American physicist Steven Weinberg said in a recent PBS interview regarding religion:
"I have very good friends who belong to religious denominations whose teaching is that since I don't accept their teaching, I am damned for all eternity. And you would think that these friends would try to convert me. But they never do. Now, you could explain this in various ways. It may be that they really don't like me very much and are just as glad to see me damned for all eternity-that's a possible explanation. But another explanation which I tend to think is more likely is that although they know what their church teaches, they give lip service to it."
Our unconcern for the lost shows that we merely give God's threat of Hell mere lip service. Shame on us. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
Truthfully though our life is but a vapor according to James and that includes the lost. If you aren't comfortable sharing your faith I would encourage to check out http://www.wayofthemaster.com/ you can learn to share the gospel as Jesus did. Remember this, the only thing we will take to heaven are the souls we point to Christ. If our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are perishing.
Charles Spurgeon said, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." He continued, "The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others. He will be like the brave fireman, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart. If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for."
We must have a burden for the lost, how can a Christian of all people be selfish and not warn others of the wrath to come?
September 19, 2007 Mere Lip Service from WOTM
Listen to what Nobel prize-winning American physicist Steven Weinberg said in a recent PBS interview regarding religion:
"I have very good friends who belong to religious denominations whose teaching is that since I don't accept their teaching, I am damned for all eternity. And you would think that these friends would try to convert me. But they never do. Now, you could explain this in various ways. It may be that they really don't like me very much and are just as glad to see me damned for all eternity-that's a possible explanation. But another explanation which I tend to think is more likely is that although they know what their church teaches, they give lip service to it."
Our unconcern for the lost shows that we merely give God's threat of Hell mere lip service. Shame on us. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Lazy Man's Way to Blog
Okay I'll admit I'm lazy. It has been so long since my last post I think this must be how Kenneth feels over at thoughts from a mind.
I have a really good excuse at the moment since I am having a severe allergy attack. I thought it was such a nice day the other day when the front blew through that I opened up the house to let the fresh air in. Little did I know all the Canadians from whence this fresh air originated sent all of their allergens along with the nice breeze. It took maybe 30 minutes of fresh air for me to begin sneezing and snorting like you wouldn't believe. Anyway, I sit here with a beet red nose and eyes to match wishing I didn't have to work tomorrow and thought I better post something.
I figure the quickest way to blog is copy and paste. It's very convienient and takes very little thought or effort, hope you enjoy. Courtesy of Way of the Master Minute.
By the way I'll be going to see Ray Comfort and the gang from Way of the Master this Saturday at Prestonwood in Carrollton. Kenneth, if you read this I'll be more than glad to take you with me since I slammed you earlier...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
God’s Tolerance
The world doesn't understand that God sees their thought-life. The Bible says, "The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."(1 Samuel 16:6-7)
The world also makes the mistake of thinking that God's moral standards are the same as ours. They presume that He tolerates lying and stealing, and that He isn't too concerned about murder and adultery.
This is why we must use God's Law to bring the knowledge of sin and show it to be exceedingly sinful. We do that by opening it up to show its spiritual nature-that God requires truth in the inward parts-that He considers lust to be adultery, and hatred to be murder.
That knowledge helps to drive sinners toward the mercy of God in Christ. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
I have a really good excuse at the moment since I am having a severe allergy attack. I thought it was such a nice day the other day when the front blew through that I opened up the house to let the fresh air in. Little did I know all the Canadians from whence this fresh air originated sent all of their allergens along with the nice breeze. It took maybe 30 minutes of fresh air for me to begin sneezing and snorting like you wouldn't believe. Anyway, I sit here with a beet red nose and eyes to match wishing I didn't have to work tomorrow and thought I better post something.
I figure the quickest way to blog is copy and paste. It's very convienient and takes very little thought or effort, hope you enjoy. Courtesy of Way of the Master Minute.
By the way I'll be going to see Ray Comfort and the gang from Way of the Master this Saturday at Prestonwood in Carrollton. Kenneth, if you read this I'll be more than glad to take you with me since I slammed you earlier...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
God’s Tolerance
The world doesn't understand that God sees their thought-life. The Bible says, "The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."(1 Samuel 16:6-7)
The world also makes the mistake of thinking that God's moral standards are the same as ours. They presume that He tolerates lying and stealing, and that He isn't too concerned about murder and adultery.
This is why we must use God's Law to bring the knowledge of sin and show it to be exceedingly sinful. We do that by opening it up to show its spiritual nature-that God requires truth in the inward parts-that He considers lust to be adultery, and hatred to be murder.
That knowledge helps to drive sinners toward the mercy of God in Christ. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The True Gospel
I took this excerpt from a Mark Cahill newsletter I receive. Why do we feel we need to add something more to the truth God has already given?
Question for you: if you had twenty minutes to talk to someone on death row, what would you talk about? Do you think you would share the Prosperity Gospel with them? 'Come to Jesus and all your dreams will be met.' I was in a prison one time where a guy kept telling the inmates about his airplanes and the landing strip he got after he got saved, and I was wondering how much that would help the Lifers in that Federal Prison? They might be able to use a helicopter to get out, but a plane wasn't going to be much help! We see all of this prosperity preaching on TV, and in some of the major Christian books out there, but would it work on death row to these inmates? You can't serve both God and mammon, so which one should we really preach? As one preacher said, the Prosperity Gospel only preaches in America. What an amazing statement. You can't preach that in prison. How do you preach the Prosperity Gospel to the rich young ruler? How can you preach the Prosperity Gospel to Donald Trump when he seemingly has everything (in a worldly sense)? You can't preach that in the slums of Haiti. You can't preach that in the desert region of Africa. That might be the American Dream, but it can turn into a huge nightmare without the right heart to handle the wealth that can come your way.
The sad thing is that it will preach here in America, but it won't preach elsewhere. Maybe there is a good reason for that.
The true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ should preach anywhere you will preach it. Here is a good model to use when speaking for the Lord: If It Doesn't Preach On Death Row, It Doesn't Preach. If what you want to say about Jesus won't work on death row, it probably doesn't truly work anyway.
I read where someone said they walk up to people and say, "If I have three minutes to live and then I will be dead, what must I do to be right with God?" I like that. I have used it a couple of times. It is still stunning to me how some people talk about good works when they are witnessing. How many good works can you do in three minutes?! What would you tell someone if they asked you that question?
Quoting from a friend's newsletter, a leader of a denomination said,
It seems the American church says to those who pass through the doors, You're a good person, and the church can give you added value to the temporal life. And it will. But this is not the primary reason the church exists. The church exists to get people ready for eternity, not for tomorrow. It is not a temporal gospel; it is an eternal gospel, and at the heart of that gospel is the Cross and true repentance.
I think this leader is on to something.
John the Baptist was put into prison by Herod. What would you have said to John the Baptist if you would have had the chance? Look what happened a few verses later:
"And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison," Mark 6:27.
John never made it out of prison. It wouldn't have made much sense to preach to him the Prosperity Gospel. He was going to a big feast, but it was just his head that was going to arrive there!
Don't forget: If It Doesn't Preach On Death Row, It Doesn't Preach.
Question for you: if you had twenty minutes to talk to someone on death row, what would you talk about? Do you think you would share the Prosperity Gospel with them? 'Come to Jesus and all your dreams will be met.' I was in a prison one time where a guy kept telling the inmates about his airplanes and the landing strip he got after he got saved, and I was wondering how much that would help the Lifers in that Federal Prison? They might be able to use a helicopter to get out, but a plane wasn't going to be much help! We see all of this prosperity preaching on TV, and in some of the major Christian books out there, but would it work on death row to these inmates? You can't serve both God and mammon, so which one should we really preach? As one preacher said, the Prosperity Gospel only preaches in America. What an amazing statement. You can't preach that in prison. How do you preach the Prosperity Gospel to the rich young ruler? How can you preach the Prosperity Gospel to Donald Trump when he seemingly has everything (in a worldly sense)? You can't preach that in the slums of Haiti. You can't preach that in the desert region of Africa. That might be the American Dream, but it can turn into a huge nightmare without the right heart to handle the wealth that can come your way.
The sad thing is that it will preach here in America, but it won't preach elsewhere. Maybe there is a good reason for that.
The true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ should preach anywhere you will preach it. Here is a good model to use when speaking for the Lord: If It Doesn't Preach On Death Row, It Doesn't Preach. If what you want to say about Jesus won't work on death row, it probably doesn't truly work anyway.
I read where someone said they walk up to people and say, "If I have three minutes to live and then I will be dead, what must I do to be right with God?" I like that. I have used it a couple of times. It is still stunning to me how some people talk about good works when they are witnessing. How many good works can you do in three minutes?! What would you tell someone if they asked you that question?
Quoting from a friend's newsletter, a leader of a denomination said,
It seems the American church says to those who pass through the doors, You're a good person, and the church can give you added value to the temporal life. And it will. But this is not the primary reason the church exists. The church exists to get people ready for eternity, not for tomorrow. It is not a temporal gospel; it is an eternal gospel, and at the heart of that gospel is the Cross and true repentance.
I think this leader is on to something.
John the Baptist was put into prison by Herod. What would you have said to John the Baptist if you would have had the chance? Look what happened a few verses later:
"And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison," Mark 6:27.
John never made it out of prison. It wouldn't have made much sense to preach to him the Prosperity Gospel. He was going to a big feast, but it was just his head that was going to arrive there!
Don't forget: If It Doesn't Preach On Death Row, It Doesn't Preach.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Michael to GFA
Well the day finally arrived for Michael to head off to GFA and I think everyone did very well. I can speak for myself anyway. I'm sure Dreama will blog on this same subject and I'll let her speak for herself.
Michael has been waiting for this day since the day he felt God calling him to go to GFA. I remember that day myself, it was a Saturday in February. Dreama and I were in Jefferson having much needed R&R and Michael was home alone, for the first time I believe. Dreama and I were riding around looking at old houses and Michael called me with so much excitement in his voice it almost brought tears to my eyes, if you can believe that. He had gone out with Robert to the bus station in Dallas that Friday night then they met up with some other friends and headed to GFA for an all night prayer meeting GFA holds once a month. Michael told me he had never felt the presence of the Holy Spirit like he did that night/morning. People praying for one another, someone sharing a Pslam or a song. He told me over the phone that day that was the place he needed to be. I had no clue what GFA was and after we, or I should say after he, talked I told him we would check into it when I got home.
Sometimes younger people get caught up in the moment as do some adults and the fire fizzles after a bit and things return to the way they were. GFA was different for Michael, he was still in high school unsure of what he needed to do but GFA kept surfacing. We and all his band directors knew he could get a music scholarship to just about any univeristy he wanted to attend but he told me he was unsure how he could glorify God in it. He applied to Criswell and GFA at the same time. I think much to his dismay he was accepted to both. I have never asked him, but I think he thought if he was not accepted to Criswell that would be the sign for him to go to GFA. Either way my only advice to Michael was to seek God and he would show him where he needed to be. GFA was it, he called Criswell and they were more than happy to delay his entry without reapplying for two years so he could attend GFA.
One decision while home alone on a Friday night in a small town as an 18 year old has and will continue to change Michael's life forever. He could have made one phone call to any number of friends and been some place else other than passing out tracts in downtown Dallas which in turn would mean he would have missed GFA, yet he chose to honor God and I believe God is honoring his obedience. To that I say thank you Lord for all you have done so far in him.
I realize he is only in Carrollton less than 2 hours from home but when it comes to your kids unless thay are within arms reach they just as well be around the world some place. God is about to start a work in Michael I think few of us will ever be able to experience and one that I'm truly envious of.
May God bless you and keep you son as you begin your journey in serving our King....
Michael has been waiting for this day since the day he felt God calling him to go to GFA. I remember that day myself, it was a Saturday in February. Dreama and I were in Jefferson having much needed R&R and Michael was home alone, for the first time I believe. Dreama and I were riding around looking at old houses and Michael called me with so much excitement in his voice it almost brought tears to my eyes, if you can believe that. He had gone out with Robert to the bus station in Dallas that Friday night then they met up with some other friends and headed to GFA for an all night prayer meeting GFA holds once a month. Michael told me he had never felt the presence of the Holy Spirit like he did that night/morning. People praying for one another, someone sharing a Pslam or a song. He told me over the phone that day that was the place he needed to be. I had no clue what GFA was and after we, or I should say after he, talked I told him we would check into it when I got home.
Sometimes younger people get caught up in the moment as do some adults and the fire fizzles after a bit and things return to the way they were. GFA was different for Michael, he was still in high school unsure of what he needed to do but GFA kept surfacing. We and all his band directors knew he could get a music scholarship to just about any univeristy he wanted to attend but he told me he was unsure how he could glorify God in it. He applied to Criswell and GFA at the same time. I think much to his dismay he was accepted to both. I have never asked him, but I think he thought if he was not accepted to Criswell that would be the sign for him to go to GFA. Either way my only advice to Michael was to seek God and he would show him where he needed to be. GFA was it, he called Criswell and they were more than happy to delay his entry without reapplying for two years so he could attend GFA.
One decision while home alone on a Friday night in a small town as an 18 year old has and will continue to change Michael's life forever. He could have made one phone call to any number of friends and been some place else other than passing out tracts in downtown Dallas which in turn would mean he would have missed GFA, yet he chose to honor God and I believe God is honoring his obedience. To that I say thank you Lord for all you have done so far in him.
I realize he is only in Carrollton less than 2 hours from home but when it comes to your kids unless thay are within arms reach they just as well be around the world some place. God is about to start a work in Michael I think few of us will ever be able to experience and one that I'm truly envious of.
May God bless you and keep you son as you begin your journey in serving our King....
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Helping the Butterfly
A man once noticed that a butterfly was struggling to get out of a cocoon, so he took a razor blade and slit the side of it to help the poor creature. It struggled, then fell out onto the ground, and after a little movement, died.
The man hadn't helped the butterfly; he had killed it. The very process of struggling in the cocoon should have pumped blood into the wings of the butterfly, giving it beauty, life, and character.
In the same way, all the trials and struggles which come our way are not to do us harm, but to do us good. They are bringing beauty and color to our character, which will be revealed the moment we break free from the cocoon of this life.
So, don't wait to be free from trials before you reach out to those who are still in the shadow of death. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
courtesy of Way of the Master
www.wayofthemaster.com
The man hadn't helped the butterfly; he had killed it. The very process of struggling in the cocoon should have pumped blood into the wings of the butterfly, giving it beauty, life, and character.
In the same way, all the trials and struggles which come our way are not to do us harm, but to do us good. They are bringing beauty and color to our character, which will be revealed the moment we break free from the cocoon of this life.
So, don't wait to be free from trials before you reach out to those who are still in the shadow of death. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
courtesy of Way of the Master
www.wayofthemaster.com
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Jeremiah 31:1-34
TODAY IN THE WORD
Read: Jeremiah 31:1-34
“There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands.”
Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” would shock many contemporary audiences. We’ve grown accustomed to preaching that emphasizes themes of God’s love, not His just punishment of sin.
Like Jonathan Edwards, Jeremiah’s preaching ministry also emphasized the violent judgment of God. He suffered terribly for his “gloom-and-doom” preaching, almost losing his life.
How strange the words from Jeremiah 31 must have sounded, then, to the listening crowd. Among vociferous warnings of God’s impending judgment, suddenly Jeremiah’s tone changed. Instead of wrath, he spoke of love. He predicted a future time when God’s blessings, physical and spiritual, will be restored to His people. It seemed incomprehensible among the warnings that Judah would soon be overthrown and taken into captivity.
Jeremiah foretold the coming of a New Covenant, unlike the Old. Formerly, God had led His people by the hand, but His people were unruly children, always tugging and twisting to break free. They had a pattern of disobedience and rebellion. Through the New Covenant, God would bring a people back to Himself who would be faithful. They would not depend on spiritual handholding for their obedience, having instead an internal locus of love and devotion to God. The Word of God would be imprinted on their hearts and their minds.
The New Covenant assures God’s people of His forgiveness and His invitation to return to Him. It declares God’s deliberate act of “remember[ing] their sins no more” (v. 34).
God initiates the New Covenant because of who He is: eternally faithful (v. 3), a loving Father (v. 9), a gracious God (v. 14), and a Promise Keeper (v. 37).
Posted with permission from Moody Bible Institute, Today in the Word.
Read: Jeremiah 31:1-34
“There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands.”
Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” would shock many contemporary audiences. We’ve grown accustomed to preaching that emphasizes themes of God’s love, not His just punishment of sin.
Like Jonathan Edwards, Jeremiah’s preaching ministry also emphasized the violent judgment of God. He suffered terribly for his “gloom-and-doom” preaching, almost losing his life.
How strange the words from Jeremiah 31 must have sounded, then, to the listening crowd. Among vociferous warnings of God’s impending judgment, suddenly Jeremiah’s tone changed. Instead of wrath, he spoke of love. He predicted a future time when God’s blessings, physical and spiritual, will be restored to His people. It seemed incomprehensible among the warnings that Judah would soon be overthrown and taken into captivity.
Jeremiah foretold the coming of a New Covenant, unlike the Old. Formerly, God had led His people by the hand, but His people were unruly children, always tugging and twisting to break free. They had a pattern of disobedience and rebellion. Through the New Covenant, God would bring a people back to Himself who would be faithful. They would not depend on spiritual handholding for their obedience, having instead an internal locus of love and devotion to God. The Word of God would be imprinted on their hearts and their minds.
The New Covenant assures God’s people of His forgiveness and His invitation to return to Him. It declares God’s deliberate act of “remember[ing] their sins no more” (v. 34).
God initiates the New Covenant because of who He is: eternally faithful (v. 3), a loving Father (v. 9), a gracious God (v. 14), and a Promise Keeper (v. 37).
Posted with permission from Moody Bible Institute, Today in the Word.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Miracle of the New Birth
I want to throw my two cents in concerning "Shane". I spoke last night at Oak Street, briefly mentioning that anytime someone commits their life to Christ it is a miracle. We too often look past that fact I believe.
The Bible says that the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner comes to the Lord. The Bible also states that no man can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him. That word draw in the Greek literally means to drag. I know in my own conversion experience I came out of the world kicking and screaming because I loved my sin.
"Shane", a boy who had, to my knowledge, not truly considered what Christ has to offer was seeking some sort of truth in life. He was brought to Oak Street by a friend of his who was referred by a local church. God surrounded him with Godly examples of men and women who would give up their time to talk and explain and answer and do whatever else was necessary to show him the love of Christ. From no knowlwedge to saving knowledge, I think that is what makes the Shane story so exciting.
The miracle of the New Birth, isn't it awesome that God would allow us to play a part in all of this? To know that you are working along side God and the Holy Spirit to accomplish this one thing. What can you say other than, WOW!!!
The Bible says that the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner comes to the Lord. The Bible also states that no man can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him. That word draw in the Greek literally means to drag. I know in my own conversion experience I came out of the world kicking and screaming because I loved my sin.
"Shane", a boy who had, to my knowledge, not truly considered what Christ has to offer was seeking some sort of truth in life. He was brought to Oak Street by a friend of his who was referred by a local church. God surrounded him with Godly examples of men and women who would give up their time to talk and explain and answer and do whatever else was necessary to show him the love of Christ. From no knowlwedge to saving knowledge, I think that is what makes the Shane story so exciting.
The miracle of the New Birth, isn't it awesome that God would allow us to play a part in all of this? To know that you are working along side God and the Holy Spirit to accomplish this one thing. What can you say other than, WOW!!!
Weird..
Something happened at Oak Street Sunday night when I finished preaching that I have never experienced before. I still wonder what took place if anything. To be honest I was more than a little uneasy with the situation.
I preached on John 11 even though it was a last minute decision. I struggled all week and had several different ideas but nothing that felt as if it were from God. I woke up this morning thinking I would have been better off standing before everyone and telling them I had not heard from God so I wasn't going to say anything. I don't take preaching and or teaching the Word of God lightly, the last thing I want to do is mislead someone or try to teach something beyond my knowledge, which I have done in the past with disastrous results. I want to be as accurate as possible when I speak.
Last night was one of those nights when it just seemed I had nothing to say and was trying to be totally reliant upon God to give me the words and scripture He wanted to use. When I finished speaking and then prayed there was a strange silence and no one moved, no chairs scooting, no yawns or other loud noises, simply silence, not a single person moved......very strange, like I said I was uneasy, so to break the silence I say, "Do you want me to keep going?" what a goof.....It got people moving though.....LOL.....
I say amen to the closing prayer and look up and there are 60 eyes staring back at me I thought, WOW, they finally know how dumb and un-informed I really am. They must be trying to figure out what in the world they have just witnessed, kinda like a bad car wreck you just can't peel your eyes away from it....LOL.... Usually people are beating down the doors to get out, maybe everyone was too tired from all the activity over the weekend and I disturbed their sleep and they were coming out of their nap haze.
Well, I look at it like this. If God spoke to even a single person and somehow God was glorified by me standing up there, then I thank God for using me. Just don't stare, it's not nice.
I preached on John 11 even though it was a last minute decision. I struggled all week and had several different ideas but nothing that felt as if it were from God. I woke up this morning thinking I would have been better off standing before everyone and telling them I had not heard from God so I wasn't going to say anything. I don't take preaching and or teaching the Word of God lightly, the last thing I want to do is mislead someone or try to teach something beyond my knowledge, which I have done in the past with disastrous results. I want to be as accurate as possible when I speak.
Last night was one of those nights when it just seemed I had nothing to say and was trying to be totally reliant upon God to give me the words and scripture He wanted to use. When I finished speaking and then prayed there was a strange silence and no one moved, no chairs scooting, no yawns or other loud noises, simply silence, not a single person moved......very strange, like I said I was uneasy, so to break the silence I say, "Do you want me to keep going?" what a goof.....It got people moving though.....LOL.....
I say amen to the closing prayer and look up and there are 60 eyes staring back at me I thought, WOW, they finally know how dumb and un-informed I really am. They must be trying to figure out what in the world they have just witnessed, kinda like a bad car wreck you just can't peel your eyes away from it....LOL.... Usually people are beating down the doors to get out, maybe everyone was too tired from all the activity over the weekend and I disturbed their sleep and they were coming out of their nap haze.
Well, I look at it like this. If God spoke to even a single person and somehow God was glorified by me standing up there, then I thank God for using me. Just don't stare, it's not nice.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Thessalonian Example.
Does such a group of believers exist today?? I truly believe I'm a part of just such a group. God is certainly doing something in our Church that this lake area has never seen before and all the glory must be given ot God. The group that God has assembled is nothing more than a bunch of misfits surrendered to His service.
Margaret Mead, anthropologist of the early twentieth century once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Citizens could be replaced with Christians, and this quote would accurately describe the faith of the church in Thessalonica.
Paul commended this community of believers for their faith. The church in Thessalonica was birthed as a result of the missionary efforts of Paul, Silas, and Timothy in the context of intense opposition (cf. Acts 17:1—9). First Thessalonians is a letter written to encourage this young community of believers, which faced internal and external challenges to their new faith in Christ.
The faith of the Christians in Thessalonica is first commended for the fruit it produced (v. 2). The triad of faith, love, and hope (cf. Rom. 5:1—5; 1 Cor. 13:13) resulted in sharing the gospel, service toward one another, and hope in Christ’s return. The way they received the message of Jesus was also noteworthy (vv. 5—6). The work of the Holy Spirit made the gospel effective and granted the community joy while they experienced suffering, which authenticated their faith. The faith of the congregation was praised because it was dynamic. It transformed the lives of the community members so that they conformed to Christlikeness. In all of this, the faith of the church in Thessalonica was exemplary to other believers in their region (v. 7).
The congregation in Thessalonica did not simply thrive in their city, but also committed themselves to spreading the gospel of Christ beyond their local sphere. Their lives witnessed to their vibrant faith, which became renowned in the whole region (v. 8). The message of their faith inspired others to abandon the idols of the day and commit themselves wholly to the one living and true God, revealed in Christ Jesus, who will return one day soon (vv. 9—10; cf. 4:13—5:11).
Taken from Moody Bible Institutes, Today in the Word.
Margaret Mead, anthropologist of the early twentieth century once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Citizens could be replaced with Christians, and this quote would accurately describe the faith of the church in Thessalonica.
Paul commended this community of believers for their faith. The church in Thessalonica was birthed as a result of the missionary efforts of Paul, Silas, and Timothy in the context of intense opposition (cf. Acts 17:1—9). First Thessalonians is a letter written to encourage this young community of believers, which faced internal and external challenges to their new faith in Christ.
The faith of the Christians in Thessalonica is first commended for the fruit it produced (v. 2). The triad of faith, love, and hope (cf. Rom. 5:1—5; 1 Cor. 13:13) resulted in sharing the gospel, service toward one another, and hope in Christ’s return. The way they received the message of Jesus was also noteworthy (vv. 5—6). The work of the Holy Spirit made the gospel effective and granted the community joy while they experienced suffering, which authenticated their faith. The faith of the congregation was praised because it was dynamic. It transformed the lives of the community members so that they conformed to Christlikeness. In all of this, the faith of the church in Thessalonica was exemplary to other believers in their region (v. 7).
The congregation in Thessalonica did not simply thrive in their city, but also committed themselves to spreading the gospel of Christ beyond their local sphere. Their lives witnessed to their vibrant faith, which became renowned in the whole region (v. 8). The message of their faith inspired others to abandon the idols of the day and commit themselves wholly to the one living and true God, revealed in Christ Jesus, who will return one day soon (vv. 9—10; cf. 4:13—5:11).
Taken from Moody Bible Institutes, Today in the Word.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Here I go again!!!!
I got so busy yesterday I didn't even post this.....Better late than never I suppose.......
Wow, where does the time go? Last week was such a blur I seriously cannot remember anything I did with the exception of a couple of days and yet I was exhausted by Friday. Then I helped Trace and John house sit at Oak Street while Dee and his family took the weekend off to go to a family reunion. I maybe got 3 hours of quality sleep in two days. My Sunday ended by crawling into bed around midnight last night knowing I had to get up and start work at 5 this morning. So here I go again. Let the blur begin.
I sit here typing this thinking of how Jesus must of dealt with His exhaustion. You know He had to be absolutely dragging at times. The one thing that keeps coming to mind is God. I see Him retreating to the mountains to be with God. I see Him separating Himself from others to be alone with God the Father. I see Him in the desert tired and hungry relying on the Gods Word to bring Him out of temptation. Now I look at my life and how I dealt with my exhaustion last week and I see just how un Christ like I am due to the fact I tried to rely on my own strength.
I read my Bible maybe a total of an hour last week, I only remember one time during the week that I had qulaity prayer time and that was with others and not me alone with God.
When I am at my weakest point God is at His strongest in my life and yet I turn to myself and my own understanding and unplug from God the source of my everything and don't allow Him to energize me. He is the Vine and I am the branch and IF I abide in Him I will bear fruit for without Him I can do nothing. If I don't abide in Him I wither, the scripture says, and am cast out and burned in the fire. Last week I felt very withered. My prayer is this week will be spent with God and not away from Him.
Wow, where does the time go? Last week was such a blur I seriously cannot remember anything I did with the exception of a couple of days and yet I was exhausted by Friday. Then I helped Trace and John house sit at Oak Street while Dee and his family took the weekend off to go to a family reunion. I maybe got 3 hours of quality sleep in two days. My Sunday ended by crawling into bed around midnight last night knowing I had to get up and start work at 5 this morning. So here I go again. Let the blur begin.
I sit here typing this thinking of how Jesus must of dealt with His exhaustion. You know He had to be absolutely dragging at times. The one thing that keeps coming to mind is God. I see Him retreating to the mountains to be with God. I see Him separating Himself from others to be alone with God the Father. I see Him in the desert tired and hungry relying on the Gods Word to bring Him out of temptation. Now I look at my life and how I dealt with my exhaustion last week and I see just how un Christ like I am due to the fact I tried to rely on my own strength.
I read my Bible maybe a total of an hour last week, I only remember one time during the week that I had qulaity prayer time and that was with others and not me alone with God.
When I am at my weakest point God is at His strongest in my life and yet I turn to myself and my own understanding and unplug from God the source of my everything and don't allow Him to energize me. He is the Vine and I am the branch and IF I abide in Him I will bear fruit for without Him I can do nothing. If I don't abide in Him I wither, the scripture says, and am cast out and burned in the fire. Last week I felt very withered. My prayer is this week will be spent with God and not away from Him.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Which bone are you??
I have my home page set to the Way of the Master Minute and most if not all of the time the devotionals tend to smack me right in the face. I found this one kinda interesting. I could see people I know and come across on a daily basis in each one of these scenarios, it sort of reminded me of the Parable of the Sower. Where are you? IF your not at the Goliath stage yet what will it take to move you there? I certainly don't expect anyone to comment on their spiritual state, but I do hope if you aren't where you need to be this will be the wake up you need.
Friday, July 27, 2007 The Backbone
It would seem that there are only three types of people in this world-the jawbone, the wishbone, and the backbone.
The jawbone says he will do something for God one day. He never puts his muscle where his mouth is. He prays about things, but never does them.
The wishbone gazes with starry eyes at his godly heroes and wishes he could be like them. His is a world of dreams. He wishes he could preach, write, pray, sing and dance. Yet, no one ever did anything without doing something. An aspiration will only become a realization with perspiration. If he wants to see revival, he should stop wishing and start fishing, but his dreams are not fuel enough to motivate him.
But the backbone sees Goliath and runs toward him. He leaves the fat cat of indifference sleeping by the fire.
There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
Friday, July 27, 2007 The Backbone
It would seem that there are only three types of people in this world-the jawbone, the wishbone, and the backbone.
The jawbone says he will do something for God one day. He never puts his muscle where his mouth is. He prays about things, but never does them.
The wishbone gazes with starry eyes at his godly heroes and wishes he could be like them. His is a world of dreams. He wishes he could preach, write, pray, sing and dance. Yet, no one ever did anything without doing something. An aspiration will only become a realization with perspiration. If he wants to see revival, he should stop wishing and start fishing, but his dreams are not fuel enough to motivate him.
But the backbone sees Goliath and runs toward him. He leaves the fat cat of indifference sleeping by the fire.
There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Where have they gone?
Well, we just returned from our second meal and time of fellowship with the Brown family in celebration of Anthony's one year anniversary of being drug free, only by the grace of God. What a great testimony he has.
No time spent with Trace would be complete without listening to sermons from various preachers of old and one preacher of now Paul Washer. We were listening to a compilation of sermons from preachers such as Leonard Ravenhill, Paris Reidhead and so on. A thought came to my mind listening to Ravenhill speak about sitting under the teaching of AW Tozer. Where have these men gone??
Paul Washer speaks of his time of sitting under Ravenhill. Keith Green also speaks about sitting under the teaching of Ravenhill. Then you have the preachers of very old like Wesley, Bunyan, Whitfield, Edwards and of course Spurgeon. I know I have left so many others out, these holy men who feared God and knew salvation was so much more than just a prayer a flu shot so to speak. I have done it once and nothing more is required.
It scares me when I think about these men and then look at the men filling pulpits across America today and I have to ask, where have they gone? How did Christianity get to the place it is today? And more importantly what are we doing to rectify the situation.
I know there are men out there that have the same burden as I. I know God has placed many of those men right here around me. Are there others? If so why is there no Great Awakening part II so to speak? Have we become so engulfed with the concerns of the world that the Word of God is being choked out of our lives? Are we in this crises of watered down Christianity because there are no more holy men? Am I just fooling myself into thinking I'm some sort of spiritual machine putting on a face to ease my own conscious??
These thoughts really scare me. Could the preachers of old have been just as concerned and asking the same questions?
God help us to see the absolute necessity for holiness in out lives, without which no man shall see the face of God. God help us to have a passion for the lost and raise up strong disciples of Christ. God help us to be faithful with the knowledge we have right now. God help us to fall on our faces crying out to you to heal our broken spirits and our land. God help us to repent toward you and send revival in our own lives and our land.
Where have they gone????
No time spent with Trace would be complete without listening to sermons from various preachers of old and one preacher of now Paul Washer. We were listening to a compilation of sermons from preachers such as Leonard Ravenhill, Paris Reidhead and so on. A thought came to my mind listening to Ravenhill speak about sitting under the teaching of AW Tozer. Where have these men gone??
Paul Washer speaks of his time of sitting under Ravenhill. Keith Green also speaks about sitting under the teaching of Ravenhill. Then you have the preachers of very old like Wesley, Bunyan, Whitfield, Edwards and of course Spurgeon. I know I have left so many others out, these holy men who feared God and knew salvation was so much more than just a prayer a flu shot so to speak. I have done it once and nothing more is required.
It scares me when I think about these men and then look at the men filling pulpits across America today and I have to ask, where have they gone? How did Christianity get to the place it is today? And more importantly what are we doing to rectify the situation.
I know there are men out there that have the same burden as I. I know God has placed many of those men right here around me. Are there others? If so why is there no Great Awakening part II so to speak? Have we become so engulfed with the concerns of the world that the Word of God is being choked out of our lives? Are we in this crises of watered down Christianity because there are no more holy men? Am I just fooling myself into thinking I'm some sort of spiritual machine putting on a face to ease my own conscious??
These thoughts really scare me. Could the preachers of old have been just as concerned and asking the same questions?
God help us to see the absolute necessity for holiness in out lives, without which no man shall see the face of God. God help us to have a passion for the lost and raise up strong disciples of Christ. God help us to be faithful with the knowledge we have right now. God help us to fall on our faces crying out to you to heal our broken spirits and our land. God help us to repent toward you and send revival in our own lives and our land.
Where have they gone????
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Serving One Another
The Life Group topic this week is centered on serving one another. I thought I had a decent handle on this and thought I did a fairly good job until I went to Life Group @ Oak Street. If you ever need a good dose of humility I would suggest you go spend an hour or two talking with some of the folks God has brought to this house.
For those that might read this and not have a clue what I'm talking about I'll give you a high level picture. Oak Street Outreach is basically a 6000 square foot metal building with a kitchen, 1 bathroom and several rooms that have been sectioned off around the building and a sanctuary in the middle. A man named Dee and his family sold their new house and moved in to this building to be able to house people in need of temporary shelter. Currently their are 25 people living there and that number can rise or fall each day. Did I mention Dee is on disability and unable to work for extended periods of time?
Tuesday night while facilitating the Life Group I met a man there. I went and shook the mans hand and looked in in his very tired looking eyes. His skin is leathery and his hair wild and a gauze bandage covers one of his ankles from recent surgery. He told me name is Mack and that he had just come from Dallas the night before.
As I talked with Mack I found out that he didn't live in any of the apartments that Sean and Lisa minister at on MLK in Dallas but he lived under the I45 bridge in downtown Dallas, some call this box city. Mack told me how glad he was to be off the streets and wasn't sure he would ever be able to get out of there. He said he kept Sean's number at hand and would see him every once in a while and Sean would ask him if he still had the number and to call if he ever wanted out. Finally Mack called him and told him he had to get off the streets. Sean told him he would be there to get to him and Mack figured it would be sometime that evening but ventured up on the hill where he would meet Sean and much to his surprise Sean showed up in less than an hour. Mack was then taken to Trace another friend who lives in this area and Trace took him to Oak Street.
Can you even fathom what must have been going through Mack's mind as they were driving an hour away from anything he knew? What made this man trust the people that were suddenly paying him all this attention? Mack said he would never have thought he would be brought to a place as nice as Oak Street and that he would have a bed to sleep in and three meals a day. Mack came to Oak Street without anything. He had no clothes other than a ragged pair of pants and a t-shirt. When I asked him if he needed anything he said he would really like to have a Bible to start reading, at first being the most selfish thing I know, I ignored the Holy Spirit's prompting to give him my Bible but after a bit I did give it up. WHY would I even think twice??
Folks, I'm a man that has close to 10 Bibles, although this was my favorite I had it broken in just right and the pages were dirty, tear stains, tape holding some pages together, sweat stains from when I preach. I couldn't believe I hesitated. Maybe that is why God prompted me to give it up, man I need prayer.
He also asked for some size 9 shoes and a change of clothes. I have a line on clothes and all their sizes to hopefully get all 25 at least 2-3 changes of clothes this weekend from another ministry we support. Mack also told me he is a vet with an honorable discharge, a vet living under a bridge with 10's of thousands of people passing overhead all to busy to lend a hand.
Serve one another.........Awfully big words to live by. Sure we can go through the motions of serving others especially those we have a lot in common with and those who really aren't in desperate need. What about the Macks of the world? What if Sean wasn't willing to go under that bridge? What if Trace wasn't willing to pick him up and bring him to Oak Street? What if Dee hadn't been obedient to God and move his family to a metal building in the country to open the doors to complete strangers and feed them and house them by FAITH in God's provision???
I thank God he has given me the opportunity to minister to the folks at Oak Street. Maybe I should thank Him for those at Oak Street ministering to me. I feel I have a lot to learn about humility and serving others and I pray Oak Street will continue to teach me.
For those that might read this and not have a clue what I'm talking about I'll give you a high level picture. Oak Street Outreach is basically a 6000 square foot metal building with a kitchen, 1 bathroom and several rooms that have been sectioned off around the building and a sanctuary in the middle. A man named Dee and his family sold their new house and moved in to this building to be able to house people in need of temporary shelter. Currently their are 25 people living there and that number can rise or fall each day. Did I mention Dee is on disability and unable to work for extended periods of time?
Tuesday night while facilitating the Life Group I met a man there. I went and shook the mans hand and looked in in his very tired looking eyes. His skin is leathery and his hair wild and a gauze bandage covers one of his ankles from recent surgery. He told me name is Mack and that he had just come from Dallas the night before.
As I talked with Mack I found out that he didn't live in any of the apartments that Sean and Lisa minister at on MLK in Dallas but he lived under the I45 bridge in downtown Dallas, some call this box city. Mack told me how glad he was to be off the streets and wasn't sure he would ever be able to get out of there. He said he kept Sean's number at hand and would see him every once in a while and Sean would ask him if he still had the number and to call if he ever wanted out. Finally Mack called him and told him he had to get off the streets. Sean told him he would be there to get to him and Mack figured it would be sometime that evening but ventured up on the hill where he would meet Sean and much to his surprise Sean showed up in less than an hour. Mack was then taken to Trace another friend who lives in this area and Trace took him to Oak Street.
Can you even fathom what must have been going through Mack's mind as they were driving an hour away from anything he knew? What made this man trust the people that were suddenly paying him all this attention? Mack said he would never have thought he would be brought to a place as nice as Oak Street and that he would have a bed to sleep in and three meals a day. Mack came to Oak Street without anything. He had no clothes other than a ragged pair of pants and a t-shirt. When I asked him if he needed anything he said he would really like to have a Bible to start reading, at first being the most selfish thing I know, I ignored the Holy Spirit's prompting to give him my Bible but after a bit I did give it up. WHY would I even think twice??
Folks, I'm a man that has close to 10 Bibles, although this was my favorite I had it broken in just right and the pages were dirty, tear stains, tape holding some pages together, sweat stains from when I preach. I couldn't believe I hesitated. Maybe that is why God prompted me to give it up, man I need prayer.
He also asked for some size 9 shoes and a change of clothes. I have a line on clothes and all their sizes to hopefully get all 25 at least 2-3 changes of clothes this weekend from another ministry we support. Mack also told me he is a vet with an honorable discharge, a vet living under a bridge with 10's of thousands of people passing overhead all to busy to lend a hand.
Serve one another.........Awfully big words to live by. Sure we can go through the motions of serving others especially those we have a lot in common with and those who really aren't in desperate need. What about the Macks of the world? What if Sean wasn't willing to go under that bridge? What if Trace wasn't willing to pick him up and bring him to Oak Street? What if Dee hadn't been obedient to God and move his family to a metal building in the country to open the doors to complete strangers and feed them and house them by FAITH in God's provision???
I thank God he has given me the opportunity to minister to the folks at Oak Street. Maybe I should thank Him for those at Oak Street ministering to me. I feel I have a lot to learn about humility and serving others and I pray Oak Street will continue to teach me.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Why am I doing this??
Okay, so I thought since everyone else seemed to be blogging I needed to as well. This will probably end up like the myspace page and be done away with after the fun wears off but oh well, such is life.
Thoughts from a shallow mind seemed rather fitting for me as I like to ramble at times. My wife can certainly attest to that fact. I can say a whole lot at times and really say nothing at all, my wife, Dreama, says I say it best when I say nothing at all and she isn't talking about love....LOL. Someone should write a song about that. One thing you must know about me is I have certifiable ADD and things can change rapidly in my little world so you must go with the flow. I did try medication for a while but that took all the fun out of the joys of adult ADD so I quit taking my meds and live life for God and His Son and try my best to enjoy it all. Hang on things can move fast, oh, look a cat......Just testing you.....
Although I can ramble I can just as quickly have nothing to say and turn to only the thoughts running around in my head, yet another thing that drives my wife crazy because she naturally assumes something must be wrong and she is a fix it person and she wants to fix me....LOL....
I truly pray this blog is an enjoyment to the one or two people that end up reading it. You will find out I don't take too many things seriously except my relationship with Christ and leading others to Christ. I try to find humor in just about all situations and love to make people laugh and will sometimes go to extremes to make this happen. Once you become my friend, which only the bravest of souls attempt, you automatically expose yourself to me goofing on you. It may not happen at first but as I get to know you and discover your weaknesses I will exploit them but never to hurt you, always in love and good clean fun. The great thing is I'm pretty good at taking it as well.
I would like to try and keep this blog centered around God, family and the church that God is building here in Mabank Texas. To my friends, the few that I have, you will be included in the church part. I love to be surrounded by people who love God and absolutely love to have a good time while loving Him. Life is entirely too short to not have a blast at everything we do. I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking I'm some happy go lucky always got a smile on my face type guy, because just like most genuine people I have my own fears, pains, doubts and insecurities.
So, all that said let the blogging begin. My only question is, how do I let people know I have a blog? I don't see a link to send this out to anyone. Man, here I go again having to talk to myself. All this good stuff to say and no one to share it with. Oh well, your loss.
Thoughts from a shallow mind seemed rather fitting for me as I like to ramble at times. My wife can certainly attest to that fact. I can say a whole lot at times and really say nothing at all, my wife, Dreama, says I say it best when I say nothing at all and she isn't talking about love....LOL. Someone should write a song about that. One thing you must know about me is I have certifiable ADD and things can change rapidly in my little world so you must go with the flow. I did try medication for a while but that took all the fun out of the joys of adult ADD so I quit taking my meds and live life for God and His Son and try my best to enjoy it all. Hang on things can move fast, oh, look a cat......Just testing you.....
Although I can ramble I can just as quickly have nothing to say and turn to only the thoughts running around in my head, yet another thing that drives my wife crazy because she naturally assumes something must be wrong and she is a fix it person and she wants to fix me....LOL....
I truly pray this blog is an enjoyment to the one or two people that end up reading it. You will find out I don't take too many things seriously except my relationship with Christ and leading others to Christ. I try to find humor in just about all situations and love to make people laugh and will sometimes go to extremes to make this happen. Once you become my friend, which only the bravest of souls attempt, you automatically expose yourself to me goofing on you. It may not happen at first but as I get to know you and discover your weaknesses I will exploit them but never to hurt you, always in love and good clean fun. The great thing is I'm pretty good at taking it as well.
I would like to try and keep this blog centered around God, family and the church that God is building here in Mabank Texas. To my friends, the few that I have, you will be included in the church part. I love to be surrounded by people who love God and absolutely love to have a good time while loving Him. Life is entirely too short to not have a blast at everything we do. I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking I'm some happy go lucky always got a smile on my face type guy, because just like most genuine people I have my own fears, pains, doubts and insecurities.
So, all that said let the blogging begin. My only question is, how do I let people know I have a blog? I don't see a link to send this out to anyone. Man, here I go again having to talk to myself. All this good stuff to say and no one to share it with. Oh well, your loss.
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