When David Wilkerson talks I tend to listen:
11
Mar
2009
Faith
11
Mar
2009
What is Faith?
I just ran across this blog la nouvelle théologie, where there is a great post on Faith.
Here is the definition of faith which Julián Carrón gave in New York last January:
“What method can be applied to the knowledge of a historical event? The only way tograsp any historical event in which I didn’t participate is through an indirect method of knowledge, through a witness. This is called faith. Faith then is a natural method of knowledge, a method of indirect knowledge, a knowledge that comes through the mediation of a witness.”
Click through and read the whole thing.
19
Feb
2009
Do We Need Revival, Reformation, or a Return?
Recently I was having lunch with a pastor and as we talked about our belief that the church must look different going forward I wondered out loud if we just needed to return to the foundational principles that Jesus used when He was “God with us”.
Recently I heard someone say “we’ve been praying for revival for 8 years”. I wondered (quietly) maybe it’s time to get off your knees and start serving your neighbor.
I also heard someone say “we don’t need revival we need a reformation”. As much as I’m all for fresh revelation I don’t know that what we need is a new doctrine. If we were living out our current doctrine we wouldn’t be in the mess were in.
I intend to write more about this subject but Glenn Packiam posted an article at NEUE today entitled How Liturgy Can Save Your Soul and it stirred me up.
I would love your thoughts. First go and read Glenn’s post then come back and tell me what you think the church needs?
18
Feb
2009
Speaking of Simple Songs
14
Feb
2009
A Blanket of White
I love living in the mountains. The windows in the back of our house look out at the front range and every morning I thank God for allowing us to live here. This morning there is frost and snow covering everything. Though I don’t want to be out in it it’s beautiful.
I am reminded of Lamentations 3:22-24:
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him!
His mercies are new every morning, His compassions do not fail, His faithfulness is great, so tell your soul; “The Lord is my portion, and my hope is in Him!”
He is the source and the substance of everything you need. Every need you have is found in Him. not with Him in Him. So whatever your need is press in, stay in His presence, because only there are our needs are met.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, o my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV
Bless the Lord, o my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV
Have a blessed day.
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13
Feb
2009
Rebellion as Staying Put
The Jesus Manifesto is a blog that always makes me think, I don’t always agree with them however a big shout out to Matt Wiebe who posted this article last week. I couldn’t agree more.
The money quote:
mobility begins to look a lot like slavery, while stability begins to look a lot more like freedom than I would have imagined. True freedom isn’t a lack of limits, but rather an embrace of the limits intrinsic to our nature as embodied creatures. We are always located somewhere at some time. And I plan to stay long enough in one place to make a dent.
1 Corinthians 12:18 says “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
You don’t get to choose where you go to church. He sets each one of us in the place best suited for us to serve and grow into the fullness of our calling. How many times do you think people who have built something significant have wondered if “it’s time to move on”. Longevity matters. Persevere until God releases you. It’s worth it.
Well done Matt.
the Jesus Manifesto » Rebellion as Staying Put
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11
Feb
2009
A Football Game Gives Hope
This is being the hands and feet of Jesus, no preaching just living it out.
tangle Video – Video Details and Comments – tangle.com.
22
Jan
2009
Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the checkout girl
I was sent this by a friend I didn’t check the facts but trust the source.
Enjoy:
In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.
Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn’t possible.
He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn’t afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, “Well, let’s take the kids with us.”
She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.
Kurtis asked Brenda, “I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us?” Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities – just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary – – – he had a different mindset.
That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.
A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added five more kids.
So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.
It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
He has also been the NFL’s Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player.
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07
Jan
2009
What Pleases God?
Life is a gift » Blog Archive » What Pleases God?
My friend Ken Verheecke is a full time Christian Artist, Musician based in western South Dakota. On his blog Life is a gift he posted from his Message Board Community Heartcall this excellent list of verses regarding what pleases God. I hope you enjoy it.
I found this collection of verses about “what pleases God?” today and found it very enlightening:
I read in Ephesians 5:10 where it says in the NIV, “and find out what pleases the Lord.”
What pleases the Lord?
- Hebrews 11:6: 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.
- Hebrews 13:16: …and do not forget to do good and share with others for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.
- Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
- Psalm 69:30-31: I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.
- Micah 6:7-8: Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
- I Timothy 5:4: But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
- I Timothy 2:1-3: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
- Colossians 1:10-13: And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
- I Thessalonians. 4:1-12: Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
- Galatians 6:7-8: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
- Romans 15:2-4: Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
- 1 John 2:17: The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Life is a gift » Blog Archive » What Pleases God?
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23
Dec
2008
Pursuing Truth
Tozer Devotional: Pursuing Truth,
Another from the amazing A.W. Tozer,
One of the great religious thinkers of this century has pointed out a strange contradiction in the mental attitude of our times–our eager love of knowledge and our universal neglect of truth.
I have often made the case that we value everything but truth. We must be diligent seekers of truth not just knowledge. Tozer says “Facts bear the same relation to truth that a corpse bears to a man.”
Check out the whole thing,
Tozer Devotional :: The Alliance
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