Monday, March 29, 2010
Excited About What's Ahead
I have this incredible confidence and faith that God is going to do wonderful things in the life of my church and in my personal walk. I am filled with faith because Jesus is faithful and is so good to his people. I pray that hundreds upon hundreds will be saved and added to the church in the last 9 months of 2010.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Where the Spirit of the Lord is
There is freedom and liberty found with God. I absolutely love the Holy Spirit!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Reflection
NOTE: I wrote this over Christmas break last year after much reflection on life and my current circumstances)
"Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace" Ephesians 2:12-14
For he himself is our peace. What a wonderful statement! Six words, yet so much more here than words. Jesus Christ himself is our peace. How often have we felt restless? Anxious? Nervous and uncertain? We can rest now, because peace is here. Peace is a person and his name is Jesus! Jesus Christ came to the world to save the world from itself. Sin had stained the world and affected every part of it. It stained humanity, affecting every facet our our person. We are utterly helpless and hopeless apart from a Savior. It's amazing how blind we have been. How self-sufficiency was our boast and how long we lived thinking we needed no savior. "Saved? What do I need to be saved from? I'm doing pretty good and don't need to be rescued". This was our attitude and we were deceived. It was true and right to say we had "no hope" and were "without God in the world". But then Jesus came. He lived the life we should have lived. He perfectly obeyed the father and was tempted in every way as we were, yet without sin. He was the only innocent one to ever live, yet we killed him. He died on the cross for us. For you and I, the ones who hated and despised him. The ones who mocked him and rejected him. He was our substitute and it was with his stripes that we were healed. He came to this world to rescue us from ourselves.
From hopeless to hopeful we become. Instantly, if we turn from our sins and trust in this sinless Savior! His name is Jesus, and yes, he does "take away the sins of the world". They are completely gone from you as far as the east is from the west! Jesus died to rescue us and save us from ourselves. Once we realize this and turn to him, we will have peace.
"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."
Isaiah 45:22
"Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace" Ephesians 2:12-14
For he himself is our peace. What a wonderful statement! Six words, yet so much more here than words. Jesus Christ himself is our peace. How often have we felt restless? Anxious? Nervous and uncertain? We can rest now, because peace is here. Peace is a person and his name is Jesus! Jesus Christ came to the world to save the world from itself. Sin had stained the world and affected every part of it. It stained humanity, affecting every facet our our person. We are utterly helpless and hopeless apart from a Savior. It's amazing how blind we have been. How self-sufficiency was our boast and how long we lived thinking we needed no savior. "Saved? What do I need to be saved from? I'm doing pretty good and don't need to be rescued". This was our attitude and we were deceived. It was true and right to say we had "no hope" and were "without God in the world". But then Jesus came. He lived the life we should have lived. He perfectly obeyed the father and was tempted in every way as we were, yet without sin. He was the only innocent one to ever live, yet we killed him. He died on the cross for us. For you and I, the ones who hated and despised him. The ones who mocked him and rejected him. He was our substitute and it was with his stripes that we were healed. He came to this world to rescue us from ourselves.
From hopeless to hopeful we become. Instantly, if we turn from our sins and trust in this sinless Savior! His name is Jesus, and yes, he does "take away the sins of the world". They are completely gone from you as far as the east is from the west! Jesus died to rescue us and save us from ourselves. Once we realize this and turn to him, we will have peace.
"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."
Isaiah 45:22
Monday, January 12, 2009
O Turn Ye, For Why Will Ye Die
"Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” Ezekiel 18:31-32
O turn ye, O turn ye, for why will ye die,
When God, in great mercy, is coming so nigh?
Now Jesus invites you, the Spirit says Come!
And angels are waiting to welcome you home.
How vain the delusion, that while you delay
Your hearts may grow better, your chains melt away!
Come guilty, come wretched, come just as you are;
All helpless and dying, to Jesus repair.
The contrite in heart he will freely receive,
O why will you not the glad message believe?
If sin be your burden, why will you not come?
’Tis you He makes welcome, He bids you come home.
Words: Samson Occom
O turn ye, O turn ye, for why will ye die,
When God, in great mercy, is coming so nigh?
Now Jesus invites you, the Spirit says Come!
And angels are waiting to welcome you home.
How vain the delusion, that while you delay
Your hearts may grow better, your chains melt away!
Come guilty, come wretched, come just as you are;
All helpless and dying, to Jesus repair.
The contrite in heart he will freely receive,
O why will you not the glad message believe?
If sin be your burden, why will you not come?
’Tis you He makes welcome, He bids you come home.
Words: Samson Occom
Friday, December 26, 2008
Work of Grace
You should check out what God is doing in and through my friends! It's amazing what God has done with these men and women and I love seeing them serve the Lord with their gifts!
Their 3 main goals are to:
1. Stimulate discussion about theology and culture.
2. Spark serious study of scripture among Christians.
3. Provide resources that encourage Christians to build a biblical worldview.
Bound 2 Christ : Go there and RSS! You won't regret it.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
People Fail You...Yet, There is Hope
It's true. We wish it could be different, but it's an undeniable fact: people will fail you. Why does this happen? Why are those who are precious to us never always there for us? I think we need to start close to home and then move out.
The problem is not primarily external... No, the problem starts with us. We have to realize that we are our biggest communication and relational problem. It starts with the heart within. Your heart and mine fail us and, unfortunately fail others as well. What are we to do about this? Are we to complain and cry and be miserable? Are we to soak in a self-made sea of regret and pity? I want to offer a suggestion for all of us to consider.
If we want to be better friends to each other, we need to start with ourselves. We need to realize the internal struggle and conflict that is occurring daily in our hearts and lives:
"For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me."
Romans 7:15-20
We need change from above. We need renovation, not just reformation. We need the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can't trust people because we can't trust ourselves. If we are to be better people and, more so, better friends, we need the help of God. We have to admit that we are not self-sufficient. Neither are we autonomous creatures, but dependent ones. We need God and we also need others. The two cannot be separated from our lives. God doesn't want us to be independent, autonomous people void of all human relationships. No, he wants us to live in loving community, praising him and enjoying him each and every day. Take heart friends, because with God, "all things are possible". If you are having relational conflict, take comfort that Jesus went through the very same conflict. He was despised and rejected by his friends and left to die alone. I honestly believe if we seek change, we can find it. It's in a person. His name is Jesus.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13: 34-35
The problem is not primarily external... No, the problem starts with us. We have to realize that we are our biggest communication and relational problem. It starts with the heart within. Your heart and mine fail us and, unfortunately fail others as well. What are we to do about this? Are we to complain and cry and be miserable? Are we to soak in a self-made sea of regret and pity? I want to offer a suggestion for all of us to consider.
If we want to be better friends to each other, we need to start with ourselves. We need to realize the internal struggle and conflict that is occurring daily in our hearts and lives:
"For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me."
Romans 7:15-20
We need change from above. We need renovation, not just reformation. We need the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can't trust people because we can't trust ourselves. If we are to be better people and, more so, better friends, we need the help of God. We have to admit that we are not self-sufficient. Neither are we autonomous creatures, but dependent ones. We need God and we also need others. The two cannot be separated from our lives. God doesn't want us to be independent, autonomous people void of all human relationships. No, he wants us to live in loving community, praising him and enjoying him each and every day. Take heart friends, because with God, "all things are possible". If you are having relational conflict, take comfort that Jesus went through the very same conflict. He was despised and rejected by his friends and left to die alone. I honestly believe if we seek change, we can find it. It's in a person. His name is Jesus.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13: 34-35
Sunday, December 7, 2008
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