God... "choses things the world considers foolish"

'God... choses things the world considers foolish.' 1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT

Writing about his time at a teen Bible camp, a counsellor tells this story: ‘Teenage boys have a tendency to pick on some unfortunate child. That summer it was 13-year-old Billy, a child who couldn’t walk or talk right. When the children from his cabin were assigned to lead devotions, they voted Billy in as the speaker. It didn’t seem to bother him. He dragged himself up to the pulpit amid sneers and snickers, and it took him a long time to stammer, “Je–sus loves…me… and…I…love Je–sus.” There was stunned silence, and when I looked around there were boys with tears streaming down their cheeks. We’d done many things to try to reach these boys, but nothing had worked. We’d even brought in famous baseball players whose batting averages had gone up since they started praying, but it had no effect. It wasn’t until a special needs child declared his love for Christ that everything changed.' I was at a bible camp counseling the year I heard that story. Even today as I sit here and reflect on it, the story it still effects me. When you are tempted to look at and treat people in a less than positive manner; always remember that the Bible says, ‘God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.’ (1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT) So when you find yourself focusing on what you can’t do, remember His ‘power works best in [your] weakness.’(2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT) Just do what you can, and God will do the rest! He’ll crown your efforts with success.

Your Time with God (4)

'I have...treasured His words more than daily food.' Job 23:12 NLT

Your quiet time with God is more than just a good idea, it’s vital to your spiritual survival. It’s also essential to your spiritual growth and maturity. You say, ‘But I go to church every week.’ Can you imagine what would happen if you ate only once a week? The patriarch Job said, ‘I have…treasured His words more than daily food.’ Peter described the Scriptures as nourishing milk (1 Peter 2:2), and the writer to the Hebrews called the Word of God solid food (Hebrews 5:14). Your quiet time is also like a spiritual bath. Jesus said, ‘You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you.’ (John 15:3 NKJV) You shower every day to stay clean and avoid body odors. It’s not easy to be around someone who smells badly, and you run the risk of offending them by telling them so. But if you love them you’ll do it. Paul describes the Christian as: ‘...the aroma of Christ to God.’ (2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV) Here’s the bottom line. Unless you protect your quiet time with God: (1) you’ll be cut off from your source of strength, guidance, and wisdom; (2) your usefulness to God will be limited; (3) you’ll be inconsistent in your Christian life. You say, ‘But I don’t have time!’ You have the same 168 hours each week that everybody else has! And how you spend them is determined by what you think is most important. So if you think being in fellowship with God is important, begin to make time for it. You are Loved!

Your Time with God (3)

'He went out into the mountains to pray, and prayed all night.' Luke 6:12 TLB

Why do you need a quiet time with God each day? Because Jesus did, and He’s your example: ‘He was up long before daybreak and went…to pray.’ (Mark 1:35 TLB) The truth is, we make time for what we value most, for the people we love most, for our highest priorities, and what we find most rewarding. Notice, Jesus seldom prayed for anybody in public. Why? Because He’d already done His praying before He got there! He made deposits each morning so that He could make withdrawals all day long. And the busier He got, the more He prayed. Did He know something we don’t? Jesus had no difficulty choosing between the crowd’s agenda and His Father’s will. ‘I can do nothing on My own. I judge as God tells Me. Therefore, My judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the One who sent Me.’ (John 5:30 NLT) Why do spiritual leaders sometimes fall? Because they get caught up in the work of the Lord and neglect their relationship with Him. Throughout history, anyone who has been greatly used by God was a person of prayer. Martin Luther said, ‘I have so much to do that I must spend the first three hours each day in prayer.’ Ceaseless activity will drain you and leave you vulnerable to Satan’s attack. The sign on a church bulletin board says it all: ‘Seven prayerless days make one weak Christian.’ So the busier you become, the more time you need to spend with God. Simply stated: if you’re too busy to have a quiet time with God, you’re too busy!

Your Time with God (2)

'...it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created.' Revelation 4:11 NLT

What an amazing time with God we had on Sunday. I hope you were refreshed and touched to make it through another week. But think about being in His presence everyday? Did you know you need your time with God: (1) God created you for His own pleasure and His greater glory. He also saved you ‘both to will and to work for His good pleasure.’ (Philippians 2:13 ESV) Your attitude towards quiet time with God will be transformed when you realize this. Time spent with God brings Him great pleasure, honor and glory. He waits for you and welcomes you into His presence—He knows how much benefit you will receive from Him. (2) The cross is what made this relationship possible. When Adam sinned, God drove him from the Garden of Eden and placed angels with swords at its entrance so that mankind could never re-enter. Then God did something truly amazing; He took on human form, lived among us, died in our place, and was cut down by the sword of divine judgment at the cross, providing us with a way back into His presence. Wonderful, isn’t it? In the Old Testament only one man, the high priest, could go into the Holy of Holies. And he could only do it one day a year. A thick veil separated God from the people. They stood outside wondering what God’s voice sounded like, what His presence felt like and what His glory looked like. Only the high priest knew. But when Jesus cried, ‘It is finished!’ (John 19:30 NKJV), the Bible says, ‘The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.’ (Mark 15:38 NKJV) Now, as ‘priests unto God’ we can come into His presence at any time and meet with Him (Revelation 1:6 KJV). What a privilege! Grace makes it possible. And gratitude should be the magnet that draws you there each day.

Your Time with God (1)

'Seek first the Kingdom of God.' Matthew 6:33 NKJV

Many years ago I when I was a kid in Sunday school, I was bribed to memorize this verse. I say it that way because it was a method to get me to memorize something I didn't want too. But I'm thankful to Mr. & Mrs. Anderson who cared enough to know this verse would never leave me. A candy bar was all it took and this verse has stuck with me all these years.  Jesus said, ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.’


What kind of ‘things’ was He talking about? Things like money, houses, relationships, health and jobs. What did He mean by ‘the Kingdom of God’? Living under the rule of Christ each moment and submitting to His will in all things. When Jesus used the word ‘seek’, He called for three things: (1) Intentionality. When something important is lost, you must put aside other things and seek until you find it. (2) Importance. Position, performance, prosperity, and popularity can be good things when properly used. But without the rule of Christ in your life, you’ll always be vulnerable to the devil. (3) Importunity. No matter how long it takes, how hard you must work, or what you must rearrange, restore your quiet time with God to its rightful place. The psalmist wrote, ‘When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”’ (Psalm 27:8 NKJV) ‘Quiet time’ has been called many things throughout the history of the Church: morning watch, daily devotions, appointment with God or personal devotional time. It really doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as you have it regularly. Your quiet time with God is just daily fellowship with Him through His Word and prayer. It’s a time you deliberately set aside to meet with Him. The goal is that you might grow in your personal relationship with God so that you can know Him, love Him, serve Him and become more like Him.

You've Been Forgiven, So Live Like It!

'I will...remember their sins no more.' Hebrews 8:12 NIV

This is one of the biggest things Christians fight with, how to forgive ourselves. When an accusing voice confronts you with your past, respond in the manner Jesus did—It is written: ‘I will… remember their sins no more.’ It’s not that God’s forgetful; it’s that He chooses not to remember your sins. And when you choose otherwise, you question His forgiveness, allow the enemy to guilt-trip you, and forfeit the confidence you need to receive what God has promised you (See 1 John 3:21–22). When you keep rehearsing your past you not only keep it alive, you empower it. What you keep on deposit, you’re more likely to withdraw and act on in a moment of weakness. Just as nobody knows when a dormant volcano may erupt, you can’t predict when an unresolved issue will resurface, turning your words into hot coals and your behaviour into a blaze of destruction. Only by the power of God’s forgiveness, and by forgiving others, is the hold your past has over you broken. Shame isn’t a blessing; it’s a weight Jesus bore for you on the cross. So set it down and walk away! God’s Word says, ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.’ (Psalm 103:12 NKJV) Notice, there’s a North Pole and a South Pole, but no east or west pole. Why? Because that distance is infinite and beyond measure. Are you getting the idea? Whenever you are reminded of past sin, the enemy hopes you’re ignorant of the truth in order to rob you of your future. Don’t take the bait! Instead look to the cross of Christ, refuse to dwell on it further, and keep moving forward.

Why We Do What We Do

I received this email this morning from Laura and was blown away with the fact that loving people is the key to leading them to Jesus; and we can never give up on people no matter what. Please Pray for Laura as God is doing some amazing things in her life.


During my day...rolling over and over in my heart..all the work that went into Trunk or Treat last night...The Faith, Trust, Prayers of Readiness.....an exhaustive preparation, amidst everything being a son, Pastor, husband and dad....

Last night if not one child/family stopped by ..I Knew Jesus, God was completely Glorified...

Today began prepping, readying my effort of resubmitting receipts, included into my State budget...Past few days came to understand of late had asked 3 C/W's if acceptable to do so....asked permission to do so...acceptable for me to leave this portion of the 'system'... 

Truth, 1st lifetime de-containing myself from COPES Program....system as I Follow Jesus...not one C/W replied to me...during my paperwork effort...began to feel upset, hurt, angry at moments, frightened...

Do know I have been contained whether loving or by family, my Catholic upbringing full on Devotion to God as care 'Love' tend to my mother from 1967 forward, every choice first came taking care of my family in what ever way popped up, after 2010 shifted demanded respect of my siblings over myself, to present realized continue.. reporting in, checking in, sense a responsibility for, same life long habitual 'tending'...

Instilled in me well over 50 years, an inner stronger sense, the need to 'ask another's permission' to move Forward...

After listening to this mornings Message, just this evening, been in tears since...

With help of recent weeks, Prompting from The Spirit am finally decontaining myself, beginning free life to discover me, Love on others as Jesus has, as witnessed last night... free me from 50 years of dated, kind Loving, to the undue, unkind most difficult duties...

Pastor I could not be more humanly frightened...I don't know anything else...

Do Know Jesus has me..been in Prayer for hours, now tears, weeping into late hours...Have not a clue what is to come...

Know, Following Him, Trust Jesus..this is absolutely the correct turn to take....the biggest about face I've ever Moved Forward Into, His Timing, making a huge Turn....shake one's heart, mind soul, Spirit....

Am speechless, for all the Love since my arrival..meeting you and Amy in my apartment on first floor....all the Love, Prayers as Lead Pastor and my friend, for and from my sweet, dear Sister Amy, to all those at CFW past and present who have helped me, come along side, opened themselves up to and for me...

Day by day, Prayer by Prayer.....May you and yours Always be so Richly Blessed....As you so graciously Blessed and enrich others in Jesus...

 

Teary eyed, heart shivering...Amy pointed out my photo w/ Sadie posted on her board, a big WOW...

Never an adult photo of me posted by any, in my life time...

[Mom kept us all on her wall photos as 'babies'....

To many more Countless Awesome Amazing Grace Jesus Sightings which began upon arrival 10/5/2011, Keep on Moving Forward in the name of Jesus...