Monday, April 30, 2007

No Afternoon Athletic Contest

A reminder from class yesterday:

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Ephesians 6 (The Message)

Sermon: Greed

Yesterday Aaron spoke on the commandment "Do not steal". He applied this to us by talking about a heart focused on "it's all mine" versus a generous heart.

A generous heart isn't a quick fix, but a strategy from Matthew 6:19-23 might be:
1. Stop the stuff -- everything ends up in a garage sale (or an estate sale); store up treasures in heaven.

2. Invest our hearts -- when we re-allocate our money we re-locate our heart.
a. Percentage -- tithe plus
b. Priority -- first fruits
c. Progression -- a progressive percentage

"spending money like we give and giving money like we spend"

Forgiveness

Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional

April 30

THE COST OF FORGIVENESS

Forgive your brother from your heart (Matthew 18:35 NIV).

Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person's sin. Forgiveness is costly; we pay the price of the evil we forgive. Yet you're going to live with those consequences whether you want to or not; your only choice is whether you will do so in the bondage of bitterness or the freedom of forgiveness. That's how Jesus forgave you — He took the consequences of your sin upon Himself. All true forgiveness is substitutional, because no one really forgives without bearing the penalty of the other person's sin.

Why then do we forgive? Because Christ forgave us. God the Father "made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Where is the justice? The cross makes forgiveness legally and morally right: "For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all" (Romans 6:10).

How do you forgive from the heart? First, you acknowledge the hurt and the hate. If your forgiveness doesn't visit the emotional core of your past, it will be incomplete. This is the great evangelical cover-up. Christians feel the pain of interpersonal offenses, but we won't acknowledge it. Let God bring the pain to the surface so He can deal with it. This is where the healing takes place.

Ask God to bring to your mind those you need to forgive. Make a list of all those who have offended you. Since God has forgiven them by His grace, you can forgive them too. For each person on your list, say: "Lord, I forgive (name) for (offenses)." Keep praying about each individual until you are sure that all the remembered pain has been dealt with. Don't try to rationalize or explain the offender's behavior. Forgiveness deals with your pain, not another's behavior. Remember: Positive feelings will follow in time; freeing yourself from the past is the critical issue.

Lord, I desire to be free from the hurt and the hate of offenses in my past. Today I move beyond desiring to forgive and asking Your help to forgive. Lord, I forgive _________ for ___________.

Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved


Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson

Prayer Verse

Our prayer verse is from James 1:19-21

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
(NIV)

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.
(The Message)

Friday, April 27, 2007

Missional

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9: 19-23

In the military there was a principle that "the mission comes first". I think Paul exhibits this principle for Christ when he says " ... I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." Notice the use of "all" (all things, all men, all possible means) in this sentence. For Paul there was not anything that would take priority over what he could do that might save some. It is very easy for us to put other things at a higher priority that "all possible means" .. sometimes we put our comfort, our preferences, our likes and dislikes, our prejudices or our denominational heritage over doing something that "might" save others. Unfortunately for us, as for Paul, there is no guarantee that if we do something outside our comfort zone it will work. In fact, it probably will not work every time and will not work for everyone, but Paul's goal was to win "some" for Christ. We must ask ourselves if we are putting anything at a higher priority than winning "as many as possible".

Pride of Life

Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional

April 27

THE PRIDE OF LIFE

The boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world (1 John 2:16).

The third channel of temptation is at the heart of the New Age Movement: the temptation to direct our own destiny, to rule our own world, to be our own god. Satan tantalized Eve concerning the forbidden fruit: "The day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). Satan's offer was an exaggerated appeal to our God-instilled propensity to rule. "Don't be satisfied ruling under God," he seemed to say, "when you have the potential to be like God." When Eve was convinced that "the tree was desirable to make one wise" (verse 6), she and Adam ate.

Satan's promise that the couple would become like God was nothing more than a lie. When Adam and Eve yielded to his temptation, they didn't become the gods of this world as he claimed they would. Instead, they fell from their position of rulership with God, and Satan became the god of this world by default — exactly as he had planned.

Satan tried the same ploy with Jesus: "All [the kingdoms of the world and their glory] will I give You, if You fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4:9). When you think about it, Satan's offer was pretty ridiculous. Why would Jesus be tempted to worship Satan in exchange for the world when He already owned the universe? So He replied, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and serve Him only'" (verse 10).

The temptation of the pride of life is intended to steer us away from the worship of God and destroy our obedience to God by urging us to become our own god. Whenever you feel that you don't need God's help or direction, that you can handle your life without consulting Him, that you don't need to bow the knee to anyone, beware: That's the pride of life. Whenever you stop worshipping and serving God, you are in reality worshipping and serving Satan — which is what he wants more than anything else. Instead, your life should be characterized by worshipful humility and obedience to God (1 Peter 5:5-11; John 15:8-10).

Father, help me resist the temptation to be more than You have called me to be when I wrongfully assume Your role as captain of my soul.

Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved


Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson

Speak the Name

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1: 16-17


I'm not ashamed to let you know
I want this light in me to show
I'm not ashamed to speak the name of Jesus Christ.

"I'm Not Ashamed" by Newsboys

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Lust of the Eyes

Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional

April 26

THE LUST OF THE EYES

The lust of the eyes . . . is not from the Father, but is from the world (1 John 2:16).

The second channel of temptation through which Satan came to Adam and Eve related to his lie concerning the consequences of disobeying God. God had said that death would accompany disobedience, but Satan said, "You surely shall not die!" (Genesis 3:4). He was appealing to Eve's sense of self-preservation by falsely assuring her that God was wrong on the issue of sin's consequences. "Don't listen to Him; do what's right in your own eyes," he urged. The forbidden fruit was a delight to her eyes (verse 6), so she and Adam ignored God's command in order to do what appeared to serve their own best interests.

The lust of the eyes subtly draws us away from the Word of God and eats away at our confidence in God. We see what the world has to offer and desire it above our relationship with God. We begin to place more credence in our own perspective of life than in God's commands and promises. Fueled by the lust for what we see, we grab for all we can get, believing that we need it and deceived that God wants us to have it. Wrongly assuming that God will withhold nothing good from us, we lustfully claim prosperity.

Instead of trusting God wholeheartedly, we adopt a "prove it to me" attitude. That was the essence of Satan's second temptation of Jesus: "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down [from the pinnacle of the temple]" (Matthew 4:6). But Jesus wasn't about to play Satan's "show me" game. He replied, "It is written, 'You shall not put the LORD your God to the test'" (verse 7).

God is under no obligation to us; He is under obligation only to Himself. There is no way you can cleverly word a prayer so that God must respond to it. That not only distorts the meaning of prayer but puts us in the position of God. The righteous shall live by faith in the written Word of God and not demand that God prove Himself in response to our whims or wishes, no matter how noble they may be. We are the ones being tested, not God.

Forgive me, Father, for the times I have listened to the enemy's lies and tried to meet my needs the way I saw fit. You are God, not me. I look to You to supply all my needs in Your own way.

Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved


Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson

Know the Few Great Things that Matter

"You don't have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by a few great things. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on for centuries and into eternity, you don't have to have a high IQ or EQ; you don't have to have to have good looks or riches; you don't have to come from a fine family or a fine school. You have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things, and be set on fire by them."

John Piper, Boasting Only in the Cross

Hope for Transformation

The story of Jacob is an amazing chronicle of the grace of God, reminding readers of the labyrinth of selfishness from which he has brought us. Jacob symbolizes all human persons living in sin. Jacob's name is illustrative. He was a twin, and when he was born he grasped the heel of his twin brother; therefore, the name Jacob means "the one who takes by the heel" or "the one who supplants." His character is one of "graspiness"

and is the essential biblical picture of sin: pushing to achieve one's own way.

Incredibly enough, God loved Jacob, and it was through Jacob that God intended to raise up the nation out of which would come the Savior of the world. It seems unbelievable that God could use such a deceitful person to continue the process of redemption. However, God indicated the way his plans would be fulfilled in the new and transforming name he gave to Jacob, the supplanter. It was Israel, meaning "let God rule." The sovereign God who cares enough about a single, self-seeking person to turn him or her into a world changer is that person's only hope.

In God alone there is hope for the transformation of the grasping human heart.

From This Day with the Master

by Dennis F. Kinlaw


Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Faith

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

Romans 1:8

This is my prayer for our body .. that our faith will be reported all over the world.



Lust of the Flesh

Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional

April 25

THE LUST OF THE FLESH

The lust of the flesh . . . is not from the Father, but is from the world (1 John 2:16).

Satan first approached Eve through the channel of the lust of the flesh. He planted a doubt in her mind about the fruit of the tree when he said: "Has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). Eve answered, "God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it'" (verse 3). But Satan had piqued her appetite for the forbidden fruit, and she "saw that the tree was good for food" (verse 6). Yielding to the lust of the flesh contributed to Adam and Eve's downfall.

Satan also challenged Jesus through the channel of the lust of the flesh. Our lord had been fasting for 40 days when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness at the point of His apparent vulnerability: "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread" (Matthew 4:3). Satan is not omniscient, but he's not blind either. He learned about Jesus' apparent vulnerability to physical temptation by watching Him go without food for 40 days. He's watching you too, looking for soft spots of vulnerability in your appetites for food, rest, comfort and sex. Temptation is greatest when hunger, fatigue and loneliness are acute.

The temptation of the lust of the flesh is designed to draw us away from the will of God to serve the flesh (Galatians 5:16, 17). When Satan tempts you through the channel of the lust of the flesh, he will invite you to fulfill your needs in ways that are outside the boundary of God's will. Whenever you feel enticed to meet a legitimate need by acting independently of God, you are being tempted through the lust of the flesh.

When you resist the temptations of the lust of the flesh, you are declaring your dependence on God for your needs. As such you are remaining "in the vine," tapping into the resources Jesus referred to in John 15:5. But when you yield to temptation in this area, your fruitfulness as a Christian will suffer because apart from Christ you can do nothing.

You are a strong, fruit vine, Lord, and I will not wither as long as I remain in You. Strengthen me today to resist the temptation to meet my needs apart from You.

Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved


Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

When You Know It But Don't Feel It

John Piper discusses practical steps when we have a divided heart as illustrated in a Psalm 43 lesson:

"O how many people come to me for prayer pointing to their head and say, “I know that God is true. I know that he loves me. I know that promises never to leave me or forsake me.” And then they point to their heart, and say, “But I don’t feel it.” That’s what this man is experiencing. God is his refuge objectively. But subjectively he feels rejected and forsaken.

He knows the cause of this is darkness. He is spiritually blind to something. So the first stage of his prayer is for light and truth. This is the way Paul prayed for us, in Ephesians 1:18, “[May] the eyes of your hearts [be] enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.” The eyes of the heart—remember where the people were pointing when they could not feel the wonders they knew—the eyes of the heart need light. Spiritual light. Light from God.

He is praying for spiritual light. It’s not physical light. Physical light helps physical eyes see physical reality. Spiritual light lets spiritual eyes—the eyes of the heart—see spiritual reality. And see it for what it is, namely, beautiful. So he is praying that God would rescue him not from his enemies but from a far more dangerous enemy: a darkness that causes the world to look much more attractive than it is and causes the greatness and beauty of God to fade out of sight.

O God, he prays, send me light. And I think he adds “truth” because this is what you see when light comes. Truth is what’s real, what’s substantial. Send light to my soul. Let me see the true substance and reality of things. O God, banish illusions from my heart. Not just intellectual illusions from my head, but emotional illusions from my heart. "

Temptation

Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional

April 24

SATAN'S THREEFOLD TEMPTATION

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world (1 John 2:16).

You will be better prepared to resist temptation in your life when you realize that, according to the Scriptures, there are only three channels through which Satan will entice you to act independently of God. They are summarized in John's instructions to believers concerning our relationship to this world: "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15-17).

The three channels of temptation are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The lust of the flesh preys on our physical appetites and their gratifications in this world. The lust of the eyes appeals to self-interest and tests the Word of God. The pride of life stresses self-promotion and self-exaltation. Satan confronted both the first Adam and the last Adam through each of these three channels of temptation.

Notice how Satan used precisely those three channels to deceive Eve: "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh], and that it was a delight to the eyes [lust of the eyes], and that the tree was desirable to make one wise [pride of life], she took from its fruit and ate" (Genesis 3:6).

The first Adam failed miserably and we still suffer the results of his failure. But the last Adam — Jesus Christ — met Satan's threefold temptation head-on and succeeded triumphantly. In Him we have the resources and the power to conquer every temptation Satan throws at us.

Dear God, please tear down any pride or self-deception I may have concerning Satan's strategies of temptation. I know I can never become complacent about spiritual warfare.

Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved


Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson

Monday, April 23, 2007

Victory

Often God will give us victory—if we step out in faith to do our part. We have to obey his directions. Could it be that we sometimes fail to receive God's best because we remain passive when he is summoning us to act in cooperation with his purposes?

Have we oversimplified our theology to the point where we never listen for directions from the Lord?

From Breakthrough Prayer: The Secret of Receiving What You Need from God
by Jim Cymbala

Prayer Verse

Our prayer verse this week is 1 John 2:1-2

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Sermon: Making Your Marriage Affair Proof

Aaron continued the Ten Commandment series yesterday with "do not commit adultery". He exhorted us to be a picture to the world of "what it looks like when God matters in our lives."

He offered five ways to dis-member an affair:
1. Take a stand before hand -- Psalm 119:11
2. Never grin at sin -- recognize "this is a rattlesnake"
3. Don't inspire the fire -- Eph 5: 3-5 not even a "hint"
4. Better retreat than defeat -- Matt 5:27-30
5. Please your main squeeze -- learning to give your spouse your absolute best

"What God intended to bond satan uses to break."

Friday, April 20, 2007

Understanding and Feeling in Worship

Excerpt from "The Place of Preaching in Worship" by John Piper

"But there are two reasons for the prominent place of preaching in worship that go deeper than this. They have to do with the twofold essence of worship: understanding God and delighting in God. Jonathan Edwards explains God's goal in worship like this:

God glorifies Himself toward the creatures also in two ways: 1. By appearing to . . . their understanding. 2. In communicating Himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in and enjoying the manifestations which He makes of Himself . . . God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart.1

So there are always two parts to true worship. We can say it in two pairs: there is seeing God and there is savoring God. You can't separate these. You must see him to savor him. And if you don't savor him when you see him, you insult him. Or another pair would be this: in worship there is always understanding with the mind and there is always feeling in the heart. Understanding must always be the foundation of feeling, or all we have is baseless emotionalism. But understanding of God that doesn't give rise to feeling for God becomes mere intellectualism and deadness. This is why the Bible continually calls us to think and consider and meditate and remember on the one hand, and to rejoice and fear and mourn and delight and hope and be glad on the other hand. Both are essential for worship. "

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Down Days: Compasssion

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Thursday, April 19, 2007 - Dealing with Down Days


I saw that one reason I needed that down period was to teach me compassion. Just a couple of weeks earlier, after hearing a very convicting sermon in church, I had asked God to give me a heart that broke over what breaks His heart. And we read in Matthew 9:36 that Jesus' heart was broken when He saw people who were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

How do we learn compassion? By walking in someone else's shoes. We're told that Jesus is touched with the feelings of our weaknesses because He was in all points tempted like we are. That continually comforts me, as I go to Jesus with my problems, knowing that He's walked this path before me and He knows how I feel. That's how we become compassionate people–by putting ourselves in other people's shoes and feeling what they feel.

As I struggled through those lifeless days, I thought to myself, "There are so many people who have these kind of days all the time. Remember how it feels, Mary. Remember how difficult it is to pull yourself out of it. Remember how bleak everything looks. Remember, so when others are harassed and helpless, you will be compassionate."

Have you had any down days lately? Maybe you're having some now. If so, let me say first of all that I understand. Yours may take a different form from mine, but the resulting pain is similar. And I can tell you that I feel for you–I care–I understand–because I've been there.

And then let me encourage you that God doesn't condemn you if you are His child. He hurts when you hurt, and He knows how you feel. He also can heal you. Just tell Him quite honestly how you feel, and then ask Him to show you exactly why you're going through the down period.

What do you need to learn? Is He trying to get your attention about a certain issue? Your lessons may be different from mine, but they're there. Don't give up until you find them. Then, like the Apostle Paul, you too will rejoice in your weakness as you see how His power is made perfect in you.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Deceived

Have you ever thought that if you hear what God says but don't do it that you are deceived (to mislead; delude; to be unfaithful to (one's spouse or lover); to while away (time))?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

What is Loving God?

"Loving God is desiring God himself beyond his gifts. Loving God is treasuring God himself beyond his gifts. Love for God is delighting in God himself beyond his gifts. Love for God is being satisfied in God himself beyond his gifts. Love for God is cherishing God himself beyond his gifts. Love for God is savoring God himself beyond his gifts. Love for God is valuing God and prizing God and revering God and admiring God beyond his gifts. All these words are grasping for that essential response of the heart to the revelation of the glory of God, especially in Christ through the gospel. It is a glad reflex of the heart to all that God is for us in Christ."

From John Piper, All Things for Good, Part 1, DesiringGod

Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech killings are terrible and I hear a lot of people trying to make sense of it all. I think Abraham in "What's at the Heart of the Murders?" at DesiringGod Blog has a useful perspective:

"While others are already making the Virginia Tech massacre a political issue and looking vehemently for someone to blame, let us remember that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Our hearts and the murderer’s.

No x-ray machines, revised gun laws, or fired college presidents will solve the problem. We need new hearts (Ezekiel 11:19, John 3:3). We need Jesus."

We are not by nature "good" -- we need a Savior -- we have an enemy at work in this world.

New Age Thinking

Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional

April 18

NEW AGE THINKING

Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD — that you alone are the Most High over all the earth (Psalm 83:18 NIV).

The New Age Movement is very attractive to the natural man who has become disillusioned with organized religion and Western rationalism. He desires spiritual reality but doesn't want to give up materialism, deal with his moral problems, or come under authority.

I've discovered six unifying factors in New Age thinking. We will consider three of them today and three tomorrow.

The first is monism — the belief that all is one and one is all. It says we all swim in one great cosmic ocean. History is not the story of humanity's fall into sin and its restoration by God's saving grace. Rather, it is humanity's fall into ignorance and the gradual ascent into enlightenment.

Monism is a counterfeit to the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17:21. That unity is possible only when we are united together in Christian fellowship.

Second, all is God. If all is one, including God, then one must conclude that all is God — trees, snails, books and people are all of one divine essence. A personal God is abandoned in favor of an impersonal energy force or consciousness, and if God is no longer personal, He doesn't have to be served.

New Agers say, "When I was a little child, I believed in God. When I began to mature, I stopped believing in God. Then I grew up and realized that I was God."

A third unifying factor refers to a change in consciousness. If we are God, we need to know we are God. We must become cosmically conscious, also called "at-one-ment" (a counterfeit of atonement), self-realization, god-realization, enlightenment, or attunement. Their faith has no object, neither does their meditation, so it becomes an inward journey. To us, the essential issue is not whether we believe or mediate, but who we believe in and what we meditate upon. We believe God and meditate upon His law day and night.

Lord, I affirm that I am nothing, can do nothing, and will amount to nothing apart from You. You are the object of my faith and life today.

Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved


Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson

Down Days: Insults and Difficulties

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - Dealing with Down Days

I went through a three-day down period not too long ago. It was humbling for me to have wasted all that time. I don't have the time to waste, and it made my schedule much more difficult. But I was reminded of my weakness, and when I recognize and admit my weakness, then God's power can be perfected in me.

A second purpose for my down days was to teach me to delight in insults and in difficulties.

In 2 Corinthians 12:10 it says:

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I don't know how that verse strikes you, but I wanted to say to the Apostle Paul, "Who are you kidding? You want me to believe that you delight in all these bad things? I can believe you endure them, but to delight in them–you must be from another planet, Paul."

Wouldn't you know that during this down period I received a very pointed insult–in writing nonetheless. And when I read it, I can assure you I didn't say, "Oh, I delight in this insult." No! It made me angry and it was unfair, as well as potentially harmful.

But as I pondered this verse and my situation, I realized that I really should be delighted in my insult. You see, I'd been feeling very good about my performance and subtly I was beginning to feel very confident, maybe even a little "cocky." And I didn't even realize it! So God, in His graciousness, allowed me to receive an insult–timed just exactly right, to show me this problem before it got out of hand.

I can honestly tell you that I was finally able to rejoice in that insult. Not at first, but as I saw it through God's eyes, then I was able to thank Him for showing me again–really rather painlessly–that it's only when I'm weak that I am strong. It's only when I recognize my need for Him that His power can operate in me.

Yes, we can learn a lot in and through down periods. If you're going through one today, look for the lessons God wants to teach you. Ask Him to help you see them. They're there. And when you look for His lessons, you turn the pain into gain and make a difficult situation a growing situation.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Prayer Verse

Our prayer verse is Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

... and I will give thanks to him in song. I like the Chris Tomlin "How Can I Keep From Singing"


Chris Tomlin - How Can I Keep From Singing

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing



Down Days

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - Dealing with Down Days

As I was searching in my jumbled thoughts to find a reason for the down feelings, God brought to my mind a passage from 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

From this passage God showed me why He had allowed these down days in my life. First, I needed to be reminded of the fact that I am not strong, I am weak. The Apostle Paul had a physical weakness that was getting him down, and I'm sure Paul thought that he could serve the Lord much better without that physical handicap, and he begged God to remove it. But the Lord said no to that request because He wanted Paul to learn how truly weak he was on his own.

As I pondered the implications of that, I realized that I needed to be reminded of my own weakness. I know that one of my tendencies is to be proud and to become very self-sufficient–or at least to think I'm self-sufficient.

I finally recognized that this down period was being used by God to help me see my own weakness. As soon as I saw that, I could honestly thank God for the down period. I knew that I needed to feel my own weakness, my own insufficiency–and God was graciously allowing me to do that. God's power is made perfect in weakness.

So, if you're recently experiencing a down period, a good place to start is simply to admit to God how weak you are, and ask Him to perfect His strength in your weakness. He's promised to do that, so take Him up on His offer.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Experience of the Love of God

" ... this experience of the love of God is the work of the Spirit giving unspeakable joy in response to the mind's perception of the demonstration of that love in Jesus Christ. In this way Christ gets the glory for the joy that we have. It is a joy in what we see in him."

From John Piper, How is God's Love Experienced in the Heart

Racism

Edward Gilbreath writing in Christianity Today on "Our 'Don Imus' Moment"

"Jesus responded to hate with love. His Spirit, no doubt, influenced the words of Martin Luther King Jr. when the late civil rights leader said, "Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." What's needed today, on so many fronts, is that kind of attitude.

Racism is a sin. And sin, despite our best efforts, continues to dog us. Without honesty, without grace, without vulnerability, without humility, without the spirit of Christ from all sides, we cannot rise above our present dysfunction."

Prayer Verse

Our prayer verse for this week is Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

My strength -- my shield -- my help.

Devotional

Last night our devotional was on six reasons why faith is so important.

1. We cannot please God without faith.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. [Heb 11:6]
2. We come to God by faith.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God [Eph 2:8]
3. We continue in our walk with God by faith.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. [Col 2: 6-7]

4. It is a way we battle the evil one.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [Eph 6:16]
5. Early churches were commended for their faith.
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, [Eph 1:15]
6. A primary element of body life.
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. [Rom 1:11-12]

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. [Rom 10:17]

Sermon

Yesterday Aaron continued his Ten Commandment series with a lesson on "do not murder". We went to Matthew 5:21-26 for Jesus' comments on this commandment and talked about controlling our anger.

3 myths:
1. I just can't control my anger.
2. Other people make me mad.
3. It's just in my genes.

2 truths:
1. anger is a window to the heart.
2. anger is a door for the devil.

2 paths:
1. alter your heart -- your anger should never be about you.
2. alter your anger -- try something different
a. admit it
b. submit it
c. commit it

My memory phrase for this lesson is that "anger is a window and a door"

Friday, April 13, 2007

Fearless

Our prayer verse this week is Psalm 27:1

Light, space, zest— that's God!
So, with him on my side I'm fearless,
afraid of no one and nothing. (The Message)

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

My thought this morning on this verse is that we are often fearful and because of that we don't use our talents (see next post). With God on our side we should be fearless! God did not make us to be fearful -- this is of the evil one.

Rich Will Get Richer

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Friday, April 13, 2007 - Principles of Sowing and Reaping

Strange as it may seem, the Bible does say that the rich will get richer and the poor get poorer. In fact, Jesus made that statement several times.

I remind you of the parable of the talents. The servant with only one talent failed to use it, while the two who were given two talents and five talents worked hard and doubled their talents. When the master comes back to review the servants' productivity, he gives the top rating to these two servants: "Well done, good and faithful servant." Each of them had doubled their talents, and they were equally rewarded, though one had twice as much as the other.

But to the servant who hid his one talent and failed to use it, the master said, "You wicked, lazy slave. You knew better. Why didn't you at least put it in the bank and earn interest on my money? Because you haven't done a thing with the one talent I gave you, I will take it from you and give it to the servant who has ten."

There you go again: the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. But who's fault was it? Was the master unfair to this servant who had failed to use his one talent? No, indeed, for if that servant had done anything at all with his talent so as to use it effectively, he would not have lost it and he would have been given more.

Do you feel like you've been passed by in the resources department? Everybody else seems to have more than you–more talent, more ability, more opportunities, nicer circumstances, etc. Well, stop and think a minute. Could it be that the reason you haven't been given more is because you haven't used what you've got for Jesus?

Jesus told us in Luke 16:10: "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." You can't be careless and irresponsible with what you have, and then expect God to give you more. You can't use the excuse that you'll give back to God when you have more to give. You'll never have more to give until you give of what you have.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

How Majestic is Your Name in all the Earth!

From John Piper, The Peculiar Mark of Majesty, Part 2

Psalm 8

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!


Six observations on Psalm 8

"1. God is absolute. That is, he has no rivals. That’s the point of his name Lord in verses 1 and 9. Yahweh: I am who I am (Exodus 3:14). He always was. He is. And he always will be. Therefore, all things depend on him, and he depends on no one and nothing.

2. God is majestic in all the earth. And he means to be. This is the point of verses 1 and 9. These are not only statements of fact. They are also acclamations. When someone says, “How majestic is your name!” the name is being praised, not just described. The point of this psalm is not just that God is majestic, but that he should be known and praised as majestic. That is why he has created the earth and why he put people with minds and hearts on it—to know and praise his majesty. This is our great joy—to see and savor God’s majesty—and his great honor.

3. God has enemies. Verse 2, right in the middle of the verse: “because of your foes.” The foes of God are those who rebel against his majesty. They do not see him as majestic, and they do not want to praise him as majestic. They get far more pleasure out of getting praise for themselves than giving praise to God. The world has been ruined because of these enemies. And for the world to return to its proper purpose, these enemies will have to be dealt with.

4. God’s intention is to defeat these enemies with the voice of children and to give the dominion of his creation to men who are not his enemies. That is what we have seen in verses 2 and 6.

5. The reason God defeats his enemies with the voice of children is to give joy to the weak who love his majesty and to make plain to all that the majesty of this triumphant power is God’s and the joy of sharing in it belongs to the children.

6. The reason God shares his dominion over creation with human beings is to give joy to the kind of human beings who do not rejoice in usurping God’s prerogatives but who rejoice in making God’s majesty their supreme treasure."


We Must Use What We Have to Have More

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - Principles of Sowing and Reaping

"The rich get richer and the poor get poorer." Sure doesn't sound like something you would find in the Bible, does it? But, believe me, it's there. I think we need a clear understanding of this biblical principle.

Let me read it to you from Luke 8:18. Jesus is speaking, and He says:

Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.

You'll find almost the exact same words in Matthew 13:12 and Mark 4:25.

Have you ever read those statements by Jesus and wondered what He meant? How could it be fair that those who have will get more and those who don't have will lose what little they have? Yet admittedly we can see evidences of this phenomenon all around us.

I think it's important to note that Jesus is not proclaiming a law, but rather explaining a principle. He's showing what can be expected, just as He explained that what you sow, you reap. If you put corn seed in the ground, don't look for beans to come up, because that would go against natural principles set in place by the Creator. So it is with this principle: Whoever has will get more, and whoever does not have will lose the little he has.

Here's what Jesus was trying to teach us: That we must use what we have in order to have more. Large fortunes didn't begin with large sums of money. They began with small amounts, frugally saved and invested, yielding a larger amount to invest, and on and on until the sum was large. But if that first small amount was never invested, it never would have multiplied and produced the large fortune.

Now think with me a minute as we apply that to our spiritual lives. When God sees us invest for Him our little bit, whatever it is, then He gives us more to invest. Maybe you don't have many gifts or talents or money to offer, but if you take the little bit you have and give it, you'll discover that your resources increase. If, however, you refuse to use what you have, perhaps because you feel the contribution is not significant, then you'll lose what you have.

As I look back over the past twenty-five or so years, I see how God has multiplied my abilities and opportunities. It's something you don't really notice while it's happening, but in retrospect you can see how God is enriching you personally by enlarging your talents, your abilities and your opportunities. But it won't happen until you gladly and willingly use whatever you have for His glory.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Passionate!

“Your message burns in my heart . . . I cannot keep silent.” Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)

God is passionate!

He loves certain things and hates others. And He impassions us for the things He cares about deeply. He impassions different people for different things. Whatever it is you will know it because you will feel compelled to speak up or do what you can to make a difference. Once impassioned we cannot keep from sharing what God has burned into our heart: “…a man’s heart determines his speech” (Matthew 12:34 TLB).

God may impassion you to champion a cause; often it will relate to something you have personally experienced such as abuse, addiction, divorce, depression, a disease, a social evil, or some other challenge.

God uses passionate people to fulfill His purposes. He may give you a burning desire to fund new churches, support Christian missions, or make special ministry opportunities possible. You may be given a passion for reaching a particular group of people: college students, businessmen, teenagers, singles, foreign exchange students, unwed mothers, prisoners, victims of incest, even those with a particular hobby or sport. If you ask God, He will burden your heart for a specific country, ethnic group, or sub-culture.

God gives each of us different passions so that everything He wants done, will get done! But do not expect everybody to be equally passionate about your passion. Learn to listen to and value the other person’s God-given passion, because nobody can do it all. Never belittle somebody’s passion: “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good…” (Galatians 4:18 NIV).

What do you feel passionate about today? Do something about it!
(c)2007 Timothy L. Hudson, UGA Christian Campus Fellowship

Sing!

I really like this new song, "How Can I Keep from Singing", from Chris Tomlin. In part the lyrics are:


How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

As Ephesians 5 says:
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Faithful Service

Joni and Friends Daily Devotional

Today's Devotional

“‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’” — Luke 19:17

I love serving God. And if we’ve been faithful in earthly service, our responsibility in heaven will increase proportionately. No, I take that back. It won’t be increased in proportion. God is too generous for that. Our service will increase completely out of proportion. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read the formula Jesus gives in his heaven parable in Luke 19:17.

In fact, read it again. Ten cities? In exchange for faithfulness in a very small matter? Not just small, but very small? Whoa! When it comes to blessing us, Jesus goes beyond basic math and blows the lid off of calculus. Those who are faithful on this earth in a few minor things will have the pleasure and privilege of being put in charge over multitudinous matters. Are you faithful in your marriage or a mission? Even if only in a small way? God is already thinking exponentially, as in his “ten cities” equation. He will generously raise your capacity for service (and thus joy) to the ‘nth’ degree. The more faithful you are in this life, the more responsibility you will be given in the life to come.

If such large responsibility frightens you, don’t panic. He will fit you for your heavenly task. And are you worried about getting tired? Would you rather heaven be a place of rest? It will! “There remains... a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work...” (Hebrews 4:9-10). In heaven your service will be utterly serene. You will be busier than ever, yet completely at peace. Perfectly active, yet eternally at rest.

* * * * *

Help me to be faithful in the small but important matters you’ve entrusted to me. And thank you, in advance, for recognizing my humble service on earth.

From More Precious Than Silver, April 6, by Joni Eareckson Tada, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998.

Spiritual Opposition

Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional

April 10

CONFRONTING SPIRITUAL OPPOSITION

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

One of the main reasons I fumbled and failed in my early days of ministering to people in bondage was because I labored under a number of misconceptions about the spiritual world. Perhaps you are struggling with some of these same faulty ideas which keep Christians in darkness. We'll consider these misconceptions over the next several days.

One common misconception is that demons were active when Christ was on earth, but their activity has subsided today. Christians who hold this extreme view in light of what God's Word says and what is transpiring in the world today are not facing reality. The New Testament clearly states that believers will wrestle against the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). Paul goes on to itemize the pieces of spiritual armor that we are to put on in order to defend ourselves against "the flaming missiles of the evil one" (verses 13-17). In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Paul again specifies that believers are engaged in a spiritual battle against forces which oppose the knowledge of God. If dark spiritual powers are no longer attacking believers, why would Paul alert us to them and insist that we arm ourselves against them?

The powers and forces that Paul wrote about in the first century are still around at the dawn of the twenty-first century, evident in the popularity of the New Age Movement and the proliferation of Satanism and the occult.

God's people wrestling against dark spiritual forces is not a first-century phenomenon, nor is it an option for the Christian today; it's unavoidable. The kingdom of darkness is still present and Satan is intent on making your life miserable and keeping you from enjoying and exercising your inheritance in Christ. Your only options in confronting spiritual opposition are how and to what extent you're going to wage the battle.

Thank You, Father, that I don't battle the forces of darkness alone. You have provided all the weapons I need to overcome and stand free.

Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved


Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson

Sowing and Reaping

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 - Principles of Sowing and Reaping

There are three major principles about sowing and reaping we should all know very well, because we are each sowing seeds in our lives on a daily basis, which later on we will reap. That first principle was that what you sow, you reap. If you sow oranges, you'll get oranges, not apples.

The second principle is that you always reap more than you sow. When we plant flower seeds, we reap many blossoms from one seed. When the farmers plant one grain of wheat, they reap many more grains of wheat from the single grain. We reap more than we sow.

Now, just consider how these two principles apply to our daily lives. What seeds did you sow yesterday? Did you work diligently, do your very best? Were you kind to others, willing to help, with a good attitude? If those are the kind of seeds you sowed yesterday, you will reap good things today.

Your work will be easier today because you worked hard yesterday. You won't be nearly as frantic and stressed out today because you don't have yesterday's work to do today. You'll find that people will treat you better today because you were kind to them yesterday. The help you gave someone else yesterday will come back to you today, when someone is willing to help you. You are reaping today what you sowed yesterday.

Furthermore, you're reaping more than you sowed. When you sow a good seed in someone's life, if reaps a multiple harvest which you usually never even know about. You extend kindness to someone, and they are encouraged to be kind to someone else. You role model a servant attitude, and other people reflect that in how they treat others. You may sow one little seed of doing something good, but it will reap a much larger harvest than you can imagine or will ever know.

It's always amazing to me to see how the seeds we sow in this ministry reap such multiple harvests. The CDs and transcripts we send out everyday travel everywhere, from one person to another, one state to another, one country to another. Those tiny good seeds each of us plant just keep multiplying in the lives of untold numbers for long periods of time.

But we also need to remember that when we sow the wrong seeds, they come back plentiful as well. Have you ever noticed how quickly weeds multiply? Let one dandelion seed get in your yard, and the whole lawn is overtaken with dandelions before you know it. You reap more than you sow, both good and bad.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Prayer Verse

Our prayer verse for this week is Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

Think about what this reveals about God -- He is my light, my salvation and my stronghold. And not just generally but "my" light, salvation and stronghold.

Sermon: There is No Body in the Tomb

Yesterday Aaron took a break from his series on the Ten Commandments to talk about the resurrection and "good endings". His text was John 20 and he talked about those who saw Jesus after His resurrection and how they had the same doubts we have -- that God moved the stone so that they could get in to the tomb not for Jesus to get out -- and how God still moves stones today so we can get in and see and believe. Praise Him and proclaim as Thomas "My Lord and my God!".

Seeds

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Monday, April 09, 2007 - What Kind of Seeds are you Sowing?

What kind of seeds have you been sowing lately. Even though not many of us are farmers and gardeners. All of us are sowers and reapers. There are some important principals about sowing and reaping we need to understand..

Galations 6:7 states the first principal very clearly. Do not be deceived, God can not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Thus, the question I asked you before, what kind of seeds have you been sowing lately.

If your sowing seeds of righteousness, you will reap good things. Seeds of righteousness would be things like being kind to people, having a servant attitude towards others, giving yourself in service to the Lord in small and big ways. Seeds of righteousness includes living a pure and clean life. Not allowing known sin to remain in your life. Being obedient to God’s commands in your life.

Are these the kind of seeds your sowing on a consistent basis, day in day out. If so, you’ll find that God’s blessings are showered on you. Peace, joy, contentment, fulfillment. And those seeds you sow for others come back in a harvest of good things others will do for you.

However if your sowing seeds of sin and disobedience. Don’t be surprised to discover the harvest is very painful. If you’ve been sowing seeds of immorality, do you have any idea of the ruination that will reap in your life. Paul tells us in Corinthians, that when we sin sexually, we sin against our bodies. And that causes untold consequences that are long lasting.

Are you sowing seeds of lack of discipline and laziness. Proverb’s 13:18 tells us that the person that ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame. Not a very pleasant harvest, but that is what you will reap in due season. Are you sowing seeds of careless and thoughtless words or too many words. Proverbs 13:3 says a person who speaks rashly will come to ruin. And in Proverbs 10 we see that when words are many sin is not absent.

So if we are sowing the wrong kind of words we should not be surprised to discover a harvest of ruin. Ruined relationships and opportunities because of careless words. Did you ever think of the harm we can do with the tongue that is out of control. The harvest can be disastrous. We surely need to be careful about the seeds we sow, because one thing that is for certain. What we sow we will reap, it is unavoidable.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Interest vs. Commitment

There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, just results.

-- Art Turock
Sales strategist and author of Invent Business Opportunities No One Else Can Imagine.


The Way I See It, #200, Starbucks

Friday, April 06, 2007

He is Risen Indeed

As we gather Sunday we will say "He is risen" and someone will respond "He is risen indeed"

A part of Ray Boltz's "He's Alive" is:

Back inside the house again the guilt and anguish came;
Everything I'd promised Him just added to my shame.
When at last it came to choices, I denied I knew His name;
And even if He was alive, it wouldn't be the same

But suddenly the air was filled with a strange and sweet perfume;
Light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room.
Jesus stood before me with His arms held open wide;
And I fell down on my knees, and just clung to Him and cried.

He raised me to my feet and as I looked into His eyes,
Love was shining out from Him like sunlight in the skies
Guilt in my confusion disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I'd ever had just melted into peace

CHORUS
He's alive! He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven!
Heaven's gates are open wide:
He's alive, He's alive, oh He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive, He's alive, hallelujah He's alive

Go Quickly and Tell His Disciples

“. . . go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” Matthew 28:7-8(NIV)

Those who believe Christianity is simply a cognitive affair, the mere embracing of certain correct doctrinal propositions, might argue that experience has nothing to do with our zeal in speaking to others about Jesus being resurrected from the dead. "Experience is not the issue." they will say.


Even though I have a great respect for “propositional truth” I would still contend that experience is at the heart of this entire issue. After all, if we lack an experiential, life-transforming, heart-changing, encounter with the resurrected Christ, there will be little reason for us to want to “go quickly and tell” others that we serve a risen Savior. The reason why I don't privately extol the virtues of a given brand of denture compound is because I don't wear dentures. I have a fundamental lack of experience with dentures, and so I do not really care to make any compound recommendations to someone who does.


And so it is in the spiritual realm. Until I have a powerful first-hand experience of knowing that my life has been changed by the resurrected Christ, then I will not be inclined to "go quickly and tell" others.


You say that you know Jesus Christ and walk with Him in an experiential way each day?


Well, then, what are you waiting for? Today "Go quickly and tell . . .”


(c)2007 Timothy L. Hudson, UGA Christian Campus Fellowship


He is Risen

I like the lyrics to the Keith Green "Easter Song"

A part of the song is:
The angel up on the tombstone
Said He has risen, just as He said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples
That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
He`s risen, hallelujah
He`s risen, hallelujah
Hallelujah

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Music

When I think of Easter week I recall the lyrics to Carman's Sunday's On the Way. Here is the chorus:

On Friday night, they crucified Christ on that tree,
But he said, "Don't worry, three days' later
I'll live again, you'll see!"
When problems try to bury you, make it hard to pray,
It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday's on the way!

Living Today

Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional

April 5

LIVING TODAY

What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness (2 Peter 3:11).

I believe in setting goals and making plans. But biblical vision for the future and godly goals for ministry or work have no value if they don't provide direction for our steps today. Goals for tomorrow that don't prioritize present activities are nothing more than wishful thinking. We make plans for tomorrow in order to establish meaningful activities for today. We need to ask the Lord each day if we are still on target, and give Him the right to order mid-course changes in direction.

Some people don't like to set goals because they feel goals only set them up for failure. But a goal should never be a god. It should be a target, not a whip. Other people become obsessed with goals for tomorrow. Biblically, the will of God is almost entirely directed at living responsibly today. Legitimate goal-setting should support that.

"Are you trying to tell us that we aren't to make any plans for the future or establish any goals for our ministry or work?" No, I'm trying to say that the primary focus of God's will is that we seek to establish His kingdom by becoming the person He wants us to be today.

Most people want to know what God has in store for them tomorrow. That's why prophecy has always been a popular subject. Most prophecy teachers know that the critical issue concerning the Lord's second coming is "What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness" (2 Peter 3:11). Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow" (Matthew 6:33, 34). Biblical prophecy is given to us as a hope (the present assurance of some future good) so we will have the courage to live righteously and confidently today.

Father, help me live in the present and not worry about tomorrow, accepting only Your will and guidance for my future.

Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved


Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson

Church Calendar

I've been thinking lately that it is a shame that we don't take advantage of the "church calendar" to keep our minds focused on the redemptive work of God. It is not something that we have done in our fellowship but I think it could be useful. I've excerpted a few paragraphs from Seasons of the Christian Church Year by Dennis Bratcher:

"Many churches in the Protestant tradition do not celebrate in any deliberate or sustained way the various seasons of the church year beyond Christmas and Easter. However, the observance of the seasons of the church year has a long history in the life of the Christian Faith. When most of the people in the church were poor and had no access to education, the church festivals and the cycle of the church year provided a vehicle for teaching the story of God and his actions in human history. Even in the Old Testament, the concept of sacred time became a vehicle for teaching the faith (for example, Exodus 12-13). Planned and purposeful observance of the Christian seasons and festivals can become an important tool for education and discipleship in the Faith, as well as a vehicle for spiritual growth and vitality.

As a congregation moves through the church calendar, they are presented in an organized way with the opportunity to talk about, reflect upon, and respond to the entire range of faith confessions that lie at the heart of the Christian Faith. This is important, not only for the vitality of the whole community, but especially for children to become aware in the context of community celebration those things that are important to their Faith (Deut 6:20-25).

The Christian calendar is organized around two major centers of Sacred Time: Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany; and Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, concluding at Pentecost. The rest of the year following Pentecost is known as Ordinary Time, from the word "ordinal," which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.). Ordinary Time is used to focus on various aspects of the Faith, especially the mission of the church in the world. Some church traditions break up ordinary time into a Pentecost Season, (Pentecost until the next to last Sunday of August) and Kingdomtide (last Sunday of August until the beginning of Advent).

Following the church year is more than simply marking time on a calendar or a note in the church bulletin. Every effort should be made to use the various aspects of the church year as an opportunity to tell the story of God's redemptive work in the world."

Maundy Thursday

Perhaps you have seen signs at different churches about Maundy Thursday -- this is an explanation of the background of this observance from Jimmy Turner:

The Thursday before Easter, observed in the commemoration of The Last Supper of Jesus. It is also called Holy Thursday. "Maundy" comes from the French word, "Mande," meaning "command" or "mandate," and has reference to the washing of the Apostle's feet by Christ on Thursday evening before His death, and the institution of the "Eucharist" (The Lord's Supper, Last Supper, the Mass, Holy Communion). In the fourth century up to around 1754, a foot-washing ceremony was traditionally practiced by washing the feet of the poor and partaking of the "Mass" (Eucharist).

The feast of Maundy Thursday solemnly commemorates the institution of The Lord's Supper and is the oldest of the observances peculiar to Holy Week.

On Holy Thursday the ringing of bells ceases, and after the Maundy Thursday service is observed, the altar is stripped of all vestment color, preparing the church altar for Good Friday.

Praise to The Lord who washes feet ... He came to serve ... not be served!