Is Anger a Sin?

Luke 7:36-50
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
"One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.' And Jesus answering said to him, 'Simon, I have something to say to you.' And he answered, 'Say it, Teacher.' 'A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?' Simon answered, 'The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.' And he said to him, 'You have judged rightly.' Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.' And he said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, 'Who is this, who even forgives sins? And he said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'"

Anger is not always a Sin.

"It is Not a sin to be Angry. It is a sin to be Unrighteously Angry, but not to be Angry about Unrighteousness." -Pastor James MacDonald

Jesus was angry with Simon. When Jesus says, "Simon, I have something to say to you." He isn't being all nicey nicey. He is saying, Yo, listen up. I have something I want you to hear!

We need to ask ourselves, "Am I like the Pharisee? Am I like the Woman? Am I like Jesus?"
Let's take a look at each of these and see who we are like!

The Pharisee-
1. Despised the Woman vs. 39 "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner."
Most likely he despised not only the fact that her sin was most likely a sexual sin, but also her appearance and her worship of Jesus!
2. Ignored Jesus! vs. 44-46 "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment." (Now before I gross you all out, greeting someone with a kiss and a huge was normal, in fact the culture in America is one of the only cultures that doesn't do this even today!) This Simon dude, was all caught up in himself! He didn't love Jesus, this woman did! He didn't love Jesus, because he didn't know Jesus. He couldn't know Jesus, because he was all caught up in himself.
3. Was a Religious Professional! He knew how to talk, look, and act. He knew when to say Amen and when not to.

Am I a Pharisee?
1. Do I look down on others sins, more than my own?
2. Am I a Professional Christian...saying all the right things at the right times, giving money to the church, dressing up on Sunday morning?

Galatians 3:27-28
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Not all the same, but equal!
"All equal, Everyone welcome, Christ is the Head." -Pastor James MacDonald
In God's kingdom there are no undesirables. Jesus made sinners welcome and the Pius nervous because He took God's Holiness (exclusive) and moved it to God's Grace (inclusive).

The Woman-
1. Followed Christ Vs. 37 "And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner; when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment."
2. Overcame fear, shame, burning eyes, and judgment of others. (Everyone knew who she was and what she had done.)
3. She didn't minimize her sin. (she knew what her sins were and faced them.)
4. She Faced her sin and Worshiped Jesus.
5. She saw her need for Jesus and didn't back away because of things in point 2.
6. She found forgiveness.

Am I the Woman?
1. Am I passionate about Jesus as my only hope of Salvation?
2. Am I passionate about Jesus as my only source of Strength?
3. Am I passionate about Jesus as the answer to this worlds problems?
4. Am I passionate about Jesus as my reason for living?

Where are you on a scale of 1-10 on these questions? 1 being not passionate at all, 10 being ON FIRE!!!!

I am the Woman! I need to be like the Woman! Lord, make me like that Woman, facing my sin and the burning eyes of the judgment of others, that I might come and worship you and find forgiveness in You!

I become like the Pharisee when I forget that I am the woman. When I forget that my sins are just as damaging to my relationship with God as others are!

Jesus-
1. Accepted them where they were! He Loved both of them!
Jesus accepted Simon's invitation to dinner. He also allowed the woman to come near to him!
2. He gave them both what they needed!
Truth for the Pharisee, Truth spoken in Love! And, Assurance of forgiveness for the Woman vs. 50.

Am I like Jesus?
1. Do I fully accept everyone around me?
2. Welcome to ________ (name of your church) full of sinners! Can I honestly say this not having an attitude of, "We love everyone, except for pharisees? Cause' that is Pharisee talk!

Do I see my need for Jesus, for His forgiveness? Do I worship freely at His feet without fear of those around me? Do I honestly accept people where they are at and for who they are?

Lord, make me like Yourself and the Woman. Help me to not forget that I to am a sinner and in Great need of Your forgiveness! In Jesus name, Amen!

In Christ,

David

How do we do what we do?

"God and anybody else is an overwhelmingly powerful team." -Louie Giglio

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Luke 1:37 "For nothing will be impossible with God."

John 5:19 "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.'"

John 5:30 "'I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.'"

John 8:28 "So Jesus said to them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.'"

John 15:5 "'I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.'"

1 Corinthians2:1-2 "And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

Jesus, being fully God and fully Man, was dependent upon the Father. Jesus did only what was the will of the Father. If Jesus, being fully God did this, how much more must we?

The only way that we can do what we do, is by pressing into Jesus! Depending upon Him for our everything! Our livelihood, our shelter, our clothing, our next meal...ect.

I sit here in North Central Wisconsin, not knowing what it truly means to not know where my next meal will come from. Not ever worrying about will I have enough cloths or a place to stay. But, I do take a lot of it for granted, most of the time. When truly it is a Gift from God. A Blessing that He has poured down upon me.

I need to thank God for these blessings, but also be weary, for they can be a trap and a snare. God has blessed me with them, but I must not put my hope, my trust in these things. I must remain ever focused upon Christ and His mission, and use what He has given me to further His kingdom.

Father, thank you for all that you have blessed me with! Help me to continually thank you for each and every blessing. Help me to keep you as the center of my life, keeping You on the thrown of my life, Your rightful place. Help me to use the blessings that you have given me to do the Your will in my life. It is all Yours! In Jesus name, Amen.

In Christ,

David

Do you get these?

You Know You're From Wisconsin When...

1. You can taste a difference in cheese made somewhere else. Always!!
2. You own at least one tie with a or peice of jewelry with a Green Bay Packer theme. Yes Sir.
3. You can find and pronounce : Eau Claire, Oconomowoc, Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Ashwaubenon, and Fond du Lac. Are these supposed to be hard? We also have a town called Waldo!!!
4. You can correctly spell Milwaukee. I could win the National Spelling Bee with this one!
5. You know what "bubbler" means. Duh? You drink water from it!
6. At least one of your family members works / worked in a cheese factory. No, but I have a friend who's dad owns one!
7. A holstein cow outside of Wisconsin makes you miss home. Not so much....Sorry.
8. You can taste the difference between apples grown up north and the ones that you can buy in the south. Northern Apples taste so much better.
9. When talking about the Green Bay Packers you refer to them as "we". What is so wrong with that?
10. When the weather hits 0 degrees you decide that maybe it's time to get out a jacket instead of a sweatshirt. Jacket? You mean Windbreaker!
11. The family gets together every week for fish fry at the local pub. No, we cook our own thank you.
12. You know what a brat is, and they're at every outdoor event that your family has ever had. They are not nasty little kids! They are mmm...mmm...Good!
13.You know how to make a very good sled out of normal household items. And Lunch trays!
14. Your love you outdoor pool because of how it doubles as an ice skating area during the winter. Multi purpose!
15.You can tell the difference between the smell of cow manure and pig manure. Pig manure smells worse!
16. You have watched Fargo and not noticed an accent. Accent? What are you talking about?
17. You drive around with the air conditioning on until it hits 30 degrees, because it just was so darn hot outside. This guys is smart!
18. The local paper needs 6 pages to cover the Packers... in July! I don't see why that one is on this list?
19. Your best shirt has a big letter G on it. If you're talkin' T-Shirt, YES!!
20. You've said "Of course they'll win. They're God's team." He does love them! And that's the truth!
21. You think it's nice enough to swim when the temperature hits 50. 50? How about 33?
22.You family owns a "winter car" while the "good one" sits in the garage from Nov-Apr. Tru Dat!
23. Your put ketchup on a charcoal grilled NY strip steak. This should not be on the list. That would be a waste of a good steak!
24.You live in a house that has no front steps, yet the door is one yard above the ground. Not I, but I know many who do!
25. You think everyone from south of Madison has an accent. They do!
26. You can identify a Michigan accent. Ya der Eh?
27. Down South to you means Chicago. Well it is south!
28. Traveling coast to coast means going from Superior to Milwaukee. Well, it is one coast to another!!!
29. You can make sense out of the words "upnort" and "Trivers". Little lesson in U-per, Up North, and Two Rivers.
30. You have to go to Florida to get a tan in August. Yes, Sir...but what is a Tan?
31. You consider Madison exotic. Sur don't!
32. You can visit Luxemburg, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Berlin, New London & Poland all in one afternoon. Been there, Done that! In fact I was raised in New London!!!
33. You can recognize someone from Illinois from their driving. They think Wisconsin is their playground!
34. You buy cat litter every winter, but you don't own a cat. I am allergic! And I usually use Salt.
35. At least twice a year, the kitchen doubles as a meat processing plant or cannery. In College it did!
36. You know what to do with a Blatz. Sure don't?
37. You don't have a coughing fit from one sip of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Sorry, Never had it.
38. Bucky the Badger hangs on your Christmas tree even if you didn't go to University of Wisconsinm Madison. Go Badgers!!!
39. You're a member of the Polar Bear Club and proud of it. What isn't there to be proud of?
40. You can use the word "ya der hey" easily in a sentence. It is a very versitile word!
41. You hear someone use the words "uff-dah" and you don't immediately break into uncontrollable laughter. About 10 times a day....11.
42. Your whole family wears green and gold to church on Sunday. It's Sundays best!
43. Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a cow next to your blue spruce. Not for me, Sorry.
44. You know how to polka. No, but I have a friend who is in a polka band!
45. You own a cheesehead. Could bring myself to pay $25 for one.
46. You have cow pharaphenilia around your house, including your pajama pants. A big Negative on that one also.
47. You know what a FIB is and can spot them a mile away. I don't like to call them that, it's not nice! (for those of you who don't know, F = Bad word, I + Illinois, B = another bad word)
48. You think of the major four food groups as cheese, beer, brats and Jell-O salad with marshmallows. That's what I learned in School! Is this not right?
49. FFA was the most popular club in high school. It was, but I was not a part of it.
50. You have eaten a cow pie at the State Fair. That is really disgusting!
51. There was at least one kid in your class who had to help milk cows in the morning. It's all part of growing up, helpin' the fam out!
52. Country Kitchen is the place to meet after the party. What is wrong with that?
53. You have ever seen or played in a "broom ball" game. Good Sport!
54. You have ever partied at Summerfest, Festa Italiana, German Fest, Irish Fest, Oktoberfest, or all of the above. And Lifest!!! Chris Tomlin on July 9th!!!
55. You or someone you know was a "Dairy Princess" at a county fair. Actually she was the "Dairy Queen!"
56. You can't be friends with a Vikings fan. It is a very hard thing to do, but Glen changed that about me. But it is still hard to be friends with Bear and Lion fans, but that is also changing.
57. Your idea of diversity is having black, white, and brown cows. So?
58. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Wisconsin. If you would like to know what these actually mean, I will be more than willing to help you out!

Livin' it!

Hebrews 13:15-16
"Through him (Jesus) then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

According to the writer of Hebrews (influenced by the Holy Spirit), Living out a life of Worship to God is:
1. Lifting up a sacrifice of praise to God through the "Fruit of lips that acknowledge his name."
2. Lifting up a sacrifice of praise to God through: doing good and sharing what we have with others.

However there is a stipulation!
It must be "Through him", that is Jesus! If it is not done in His name, it means nothing to him.

"When we do the right thing, God is worshiped. Even if no one notices or cares. God's truth is reflected back to Him. Even if we're penalized for our honesty, God is honored by our sacrifice." "You can worship God wherever you are...doing whatever it is you do! That's the beautiful thing about continual praise. Your attitude of worship can turn any mundane task into an offering to God." "Everything on earth (except sin) can be done as an act of worship to God. Everything we do is worship when we do it for Him, displaying His face as we go." Louie Giglio

Everything is to Him and for Him!

So let us run this race through to completion, continually Praising His name (Jesus) in all we do and say. Let us have a servants attitude, just as Jesus did, that He may be Glorified in everything!

In Christ,

David

Worship Quotes

A.W. Tozer - “Are we losing our ‘Oh!’?...When the heart on its knees moves into the awesome presence, and hears with fear and wonder things not lawful to utter, the mind falls flat, and words, previously its faithful servants, become weak and totally incapable of telling what the heart hears and sees. In that awful moment, the worship can only cry ‘Oh!’”

"It's not the art, but the heart"

"I say that the greatest tragedy in the world today is that God has made man in His image and made him to worship Him, made him to play the harp of worship before the face of God day and night, but he has failed God and dropped his harp. It lies voiceless at man's feet".

"We can express our worship to God in many ways. But if we love the Lord and are led by His Holy Spirit, our worship will always bring a delighted sense of admiring awe and a sincere humility on our part. "

"We have become so engrossed in the work of the Lord that we have forgotten the Lord of the work."

"Without worship, we go about miserable."

"We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God."

Charles Swindoll - "We are often so caught up in our activities that we tend to worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship."

"We are commanded to stop (literally)... rest, relax, let go, and make time for Him. The scene is one of stillness and quietness, listening and waiting before Him. Such foreign business in these busy times! Nevertheless, knowing God deeply and intimately requires such discipline. Silence is indispensable if we hope to add depth to our spiritual life."

Matt Redman - "This world is full of fragile loves—love that abandons, love that fades, love that divorces, love that is self-seeking. But the unquenchable worshipper is different. From a heart so amazed by God and His wonders burns a love that will not be extinguished. It survives any situation and lives through any circumstance. It will not allow itself to be quenched, for that would heap insult on the love it lives in response to. These worshippers gather beneath the shadow of the Cross, where an undying devotion took the Son of God to His death. Alive now in the power of His resurrection, they respond to such an outpouring with an unquenchable offering of their own."

"Many of us as worship leaders and those involved in worship teams, will now and again find ourselves in a place where we have somehow lost some of our focus. Maybe we’ve been giving too much output without enough input. Maybe we’ve become so busy that we’ve become distracted. I’ve met so many musicians this year in that place, and I’ve been there myself. The main thing is that we need to get back to the heart of it all. Sometimes it’s good to drop a few things for a while to give yourself some space to re-focus."

"It seemed like we'd lost something at our church. There's a dynamic that occurs in worship when people throw themselves into it, bringing an offering to God, and he inhabits our praise in a wonderful way. It felt like we'd lost that. So the pastor made a brave move: he "banned" the band! For a while we just led worship with an acoustic guitar, or sometimes just voices. One time we decided to worship without music altogether. Even though music is such a wonderful way of expressing our devotion to God, we wanted to see what would happen without it once. I guess the point of all this was to strip everything away to check where our hearts were at. As the song says,
When the music fades,
All is stripped away, and I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

I'll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself is not what you have required.
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear;
You're looking into my heart.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about youAll about you Jesus.
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about you,
All about you Jesus.

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much you deserve.
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is yours, every single breath.

The song was birthed at that time, just as it felt like we started to come back to the heart of worship."

John Piper - "Worship must must have heart and head. Worship must engage emotions and thought."

"Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half-full) of artificial admirers (like people who write generic anniversary cards for a living). On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship."

"All of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot worship of God and his Son among all the peoples of the earth. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.... When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."

Oswald Chambers - "Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing of blessing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded [Exodus 16]. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself, it has to be given back to Him that he may make it a blessing to others."

Darlene Zschech - "Worship is an act of obedience of the heart. It is a response that requires the very core of who you are, to love the Lord for who He is, not just for what He does."

"Worship is more than singing beautiful songs in church on a Sunday. It is more than instruments and music. As a true worshipper, your heart will long to worship Him at all times, in all ways and with all your life."

"You don't have to be the greatest singer or musician to be a great worshipper. Whether you are in the body or as an individual, open your heart and adore the Lord from the very core of your being. That's all that He's asking. "

"True worship is when your spirit adores and connects with the Spirit of God. When the very core of your being is found in LOVING HIM... lost IN HIM. It is not about the songs, it is not about how big the choir is. All of those are wonderful expressions of worship, but they are not the essence of it. The essence of worship is when your heart and soul, all that is within you, adores and connects with the Spirit of God. In fact, regardless of how magnificent the musical moments are, unless your heart is fully engaged in the worship being expressed... it is still only music. The pure song of a heart that is yearning for more of God, and less of himself, is the music that holds the key to so many victories... and delights the heart of our King."

Created for Him...A Worshiper! Takin' it Deeper

Psalm 148
Praise the Name of the LORD
"Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children! Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!"

Psalm 149
Sing to the LORD a New Song
"Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the LORD!"

Psalm 150
Let Everything Praise the LORD
"Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!"

Later in his book "The Air I Breathe" Louie Giglio defines worship this way:
"Worship is...our response, both personal and corporate, to God--for who He is! and what He has done! expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live." "In a nutshell, it's saying true worship is a whole-life response to God's greatness and glory."

He says, "Practically speaking, worship is always a verb. Worship is something you do."
Just reread the three Psalms above, but substitute the word Praise with Worship. Worship is an action...it is something that we do!

We live in a culture that is spectator oriented...we watch things! Look at how most churches are set up! All the seats pointing toward a stage (not that it is bad), all the lights in the same direction! As soon as we walk into the sanctuary everything is focused in one direction...the stage! It puts us into this watching mode of our culture.
"Worship is a participation activity in a spectator culture." Louie Giglio

We need to break out of this "watching mode" and into active participation!
"True worship is a whole-life response to God's greatness and glory. A response that taps our mind, our soul, our heart of passion...and all our strength." Louie Giglio

How do we get from Spectator to Participator?

God!
Only God can get us there!
Go back to the new, deeper definition of worship. Worship is our response...To God!
"I think the key word in our new definition is response. Worship is our response to God. In other words, we don't initiate worship; God does.
He reveals; we respond.
He discloses; we respond.
He unveils; we respond.
He chooses to show us how amazing He is; we say, 'God, You're amazing!'
Our whole relationship with God works the same way:
He loves. We love in return.
He calls. We answer.
He leads. We follow." Louie Giglio

"Worship is what spontaneously flows out of us when we come face-to-face with Him. It's the natural response to all of who He is. Our uncalculated response for all He has done. Sure, we get a massive amount out of the experience of worshiping Him. But at its core, worship is all about God. It's for Him. Our worship is to Him." Louie Giglio

The church that I attend (I think) corporately does this very well. All the pastors are in the word throughout the week, meeting Jesus at the foot of His throne. Purpose: How can they lead people to a place that they have never been? To lead the flock, they must meet with Jesus! The flock/congregation is also encouraged to do this everyday! But knowing that for many this doesn't happen throughout the week, the worship team actively does this, as well as before worship starts, the lead worshiper reads scripture. Purpose: It all starts with God! What He has done, and will do in all of our lives!
Doug is an amazing lead worshiper. He is so capable and gifted by God to become invisible as he worships, so that it truly is all about God! As a body, we are focused on one thing alone, and the is God!

Worship is our Daily response...to God!

In Christ,

David

Worrying.....Not fun!

Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Be Anxious
"'Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.'"

James 4:13-15
Boasting About Tomorrow
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'--yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'"

Last night and today I have learned a Huge lesson in worrying.
I don't want to go into details, but I will say that my life could have taken a rather unexpected turn...most likely for the worse (otherwise I don't think I would worry!).

Even as I tried to give every aspect of this situation to God last night, it would keep coming back. I would sleep for a half an hour and wake up thinking about it.
After a 18 hour gap, I got to the bottom of the situation and it turns out to be absolutely nothing! Man am I paying for all of that worrying today (10 hour day with 6 hours of very poor sleep)!

Why should I worry about anything, I know that the Scripture is God's Word, that both He and His word are reliable and trustworthy, so why can I not stop from completely turning things over to Him?

Romans 8:27-28
"And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

God is my source of everything! Why do I hold on to earthly things so tightly? I need to learn to let go of the things that will burn, and hold all the more tightly to God!

Father, thank you for showing me that I am not clinging to you tightly enough. You are the Creator and You are all that I need for this life and the next. You know my hearts desires, but please continue to work in me and make Yourself what I desire most, all of the time! Help me to let go of anything that is not You and cling to everything that is You. In Jesus Holy name. Amen

In Christ,

David

Prayer request: Please pray for my friend Chris, he is going to be preaching on Psalm 150 this Sunday. Pray that God would use him in amazing ways, and that Chris would allow God to speak through him without any hindrance to what God wants said.

Created for Him...A Worshiper!

Colossians 1:15-20
The Preeminence of Christ
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

Jesus of Nazareth "is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."

Romans 11:36
"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."

1 Corinthians 8:6
"yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist."

John 1:1-5
The Word Became Flesh
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Everything that is, has come through Him. Everything was created for Him, and by Him!

So, We are created by and for Jesus. Why? What is the purpose that we serve?

Worship is the answer. We were created for a life of worship!
We all worship something...all of the time!
All of our day-to-day decisions are based off of what we regard as the MVP of our lives.
Most valuable possession, Person, Practice, or Pine (Wants)!
There is an easy way to find out what our MVP is....
1. Where does your money go?
2. Where does your time get spent?
3. What can't you live without? Or so you may think?
4. Who or what consumes your thoughts?

We all worship something.....and we are good at it! Because that is what we are created to do!

Romans 12:1
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

In his book "The Air I Breathe" Louie Giglio gives worship this definition. P.10
"The simplest definition I can give is this: Worship is our response to what we value most."
"Worship, in essence, is declaring what we value most. As a result, worship fuels our actions, becoming the driving force of all we do."

Is God #1 in your life?

I must confess that for me, most of the day, He is not. I make it a point to give Him the best 10% of my day. But, most of the time, the rest of the day, He takes 2nd place to other issues. I put myself and my desires first, I retake the throne of my life. He drives the overall effect of my life, but the small details, I keep those for myself and make the decisions, when truly they are rightfully His to make. There is so much room for improvement on this front of my life.

Jesus, help me to willingly relinquish the throne of my life to You! It is Your rightful place. Create in me a new heart O God, that I may ever and only worship you! Give You the Glory! Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your Truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of my soul. He me to bring everything before You. In Your Precious and Holy name. Amen.

In Christ,

David

God Is Good

Isaiah 25:1
"O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure."

As we live our lives, do we truly believe that God is Good? "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Or do we complain about even the smallest of things?

He is an excerpt from "The Way I Was Made" by Chris Tomlin p.141-142
Roger sings it loudest
"I wish you could meet Roger. He's a guy who goes to our church. If you visited, right away you'd hear him singing from wherever you were in the auditorium. Roger sings LOUD. Let me explain.
Roger is bright, funny, and loves God. Roger also suffers from severe cerebral palsy, so he's trapped in a body that doesn't really work. It takes him a while just to get out a few words (which doesn't keep him from trying). During worship he can't sing at the same pace as everyone else. And what he sings doesn't sound like everyone else either.
Not to worry, Roger sings as best he can (and did I say loud?). You should hear it--the sound of Roger praising God. Every Sunday, Roger teaches the rest of us at Austin Stone Community Church what it means to worship.
You and I can't comprehend Roger's day-to-day struggles. He can't take care of himself. He can't even push his own wheelchair. For every necessity--eating, bathing, dressing, getting in and out of bed--he depends on caregivers.
Not long ago, some the guys got together with Roger to produce his testimony on video. They went to his house, recorded him, then headed for the editing studio, and--Roger loves this part of the story--through the magic of technology, Roger's testimony came out pretty smooth.
Here's the last line from what he told us: "I don't know why God made me this way. I'll never know why. But I know that He is good."

"The quote shouldn't be: 'Life is good.' Rather, 'Life is Hard, but God is Good.'" Pastor Brian Berg

Psalms 145:17 "The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works."

Psalms 119:68 + 90 "You are good and do good; teach me your statutes." "Your faithfulness endures to all generations;"

Psalms 5:12 "For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield."

Psalms 8
How Majestic Is Your Name
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.
"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalms 139
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
"O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain! Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

God is most definitely Good. And is deserving of our Praise!
He knows the plans that He has for us and they are Good.
We may not understand why we are the way we are, or why things happen the way that they do, but God does, and they are all apart of His Great Plan for each and every one of our lives.
Do you trust Him? Trust that He is looking out for you? For your best? In this life and the next?

Father God, "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands." Psalms 138:8 Make me and mould me. Shape me into the man You have envisioned me to be from before time. Jesus guide my path and help me to do Your will the rest of my life. Conform the will of my heart to Yours and help me to seek Your Kingdom first, in all that I do. Amen.

In Christ,

David

Back to that Malchizedek guy from Hebrews

Hebrews 5-7

Check out the other posts....Who is Malchizedek and Jesus, The best High Priest.

After reading this over and over and researching it a bit more I have had a few more insights that could be helpful.

1. Malchizedek was a real human...Hebrews says that he has no father or mother and no genealogy, how can he be human? When he appears in Genesis, he comes out of no where! He just seems to appear. This is what the writer of Hebrews is referring to.

2. He is the King of Salem, Priest of the Most High. Salem, also another name for Jerusalem! Salem, also means Peace. So, he is the King of Jerusalem and of Peace and his name also means Righteousness. He is also the Priest of the Most High!
This would be like having President Bush also be the Spiritual Leader of America. Or say, your favorite preacher/pastor and your political leader as the same person! It is unheard of today and it was also unheard of in the time of Israel when the letter of Hebrews was written!

3. Malchizedek was a Priest of the Most High God, and didn't have the law. He was not of the Nation of Israel. And he blessed Abram...which Hebrews states is a sign that he was better than Abram. Put yourself in the shoes of the Pharisee's, this was an absolute insult! Abraham and Moses were held in the highest regard and saying that someone who was not apart of Israel was better than the founders was unheard of!

4. Malchizedek is a type and Jesus is the Anti-type. For all you literary people out there!
A type is kind of like a prototype. And the Anti-type would be the refinement/perfection of the prototype/type. Malchizedek was a priest of the Most High God for all people. Not just the Nation of Israel....there was no Israel in his day! Jesus is also a priest of the Most High God for all people, but he is a Priest Forever (Hebrews 7:21)! Jesus is better than Malchizedek and Malchizedek was better than all the Priests of the Nation of Israel.

Jesus is the Great High Priest of the Most High God for all people!

In Christ,

David

Mystery and Glory

Colossians 1:25-27
"of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

What is this mystery hidden for ages? And why has it only now (the time when Paul was writing) been revealed?

The simple answer is: This mystery is the Glory of God!

The long answer:

Let us go back to Moses to begin our search for God's Glory.
Exodus 24:15-17
"Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights."

Here we see that God's Glory is very intimidating, very strong and powerful, something to tremble in fear of.

Exodus 33:12-23 + 34:29-35
"Moses said to the LORD, 'See, you say to me, "Bring up this people," but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, "I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight." Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.' And he said, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' And he said to him, 'If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?' And the LORD said to Moses, 'This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.' Moses said, 'Please show me your glory.' And he said, 'I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name "The LORD." And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,' he said, 'you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.' And the LORD said, 'Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.'"
"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him."

Here we see Moses ask God to go with him as he lead the Nation of Israel in the desert and God says that He would. At this point most people would say, "Great, thanks!" and that would be about it. But not Moses, he says, "Please, show me your glory."
I am going to paraphrase God's response to Moses' question. "Moses, I would love to show you, but it would kill you, so how about I put you in this crack in the rock and cover you with my hand as I walk by, and then you can see my back. Sound good? Great."
Moses wanted to see God's Glory, but God couldn't show him because it would kill him, but God wanted to show Moses as much as he could handle.
But more than this God's response was, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."
God's face is His Glory!!!!

Now let's fast forward to the New Testament!

Matthew 17:1-13
"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.' He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.' When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, 'Rise, and have no fear.' And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, 'Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.' And the disciples asked him, 'Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?' He answered, 'Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.' Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist."

Here we see that the Glory of God is now the person of Jesus Christ. (Cool side note....Moses was there and was talking with Jesus! He finally could look upon the Glory of God!) The transfiguration of Jesus was a very special and significant moment. God came down to us, to our level and allowed humans to gaze upon His Glory in the form of Jesus Christ!

But it doesn't end there!!!

What Paul is talking about, this mystery, "which is Christ in you."
God has taken His Glory to another level. This is a very difficult thing to put into words, much less understand.
God has transferred His Glory to Christ (Christ is God, so my feeble mind can sort of understand that), but now through Christ living in us, we have also received His Glory, We Are His Glory!!!

Those last few words, have changed my life, and even as I write them I am in Awe of what God has done!

WE ARE GOD'S GLORY!!!!! if Christ lives within us and we are found in Him.

Isaiah 26:8
"Yes, Lord, walking in Your truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls."

Chris Tomlin
"The Way I Was Made"
Arriving

Caught in the half-light, I'm caught alone
Waking up to the sunrise and the radio
Feels like I'm tied up, what's holding me?
Just praying today will be the day I go free

I want to live like there's no tomorrow
I want to dance like no one's around
I want to sing like nobody's listening
Before I lay my body down
I want to give like I have plenty
I want to love like I'm not afraid
I want to be the man I was meant to be
I want to be the way I was made

Made in Your likeness, made with Your hands
Made to discover who You are and who I am
All I've forgotten help me to find
All that You've promised let it be in my life

Chris Tomlin
"Be Glorified"
The Noise We Make

Your love has captured me
Your grace has set me free
Your life the air I breathe
Be glorified in me

You set my feet to dancing
You set my heart on fire
In the presence of a thousand kings
you are my one desire
I stand before you now
With trembling hands lifted high
Be glorified

Your love has captured me
Your grace has set me free
Your life the air I breathe
Be glorified in me

You set my feet to dancing
You set my heart on fire
In the presence of a thousand kings
You are my one desire
I stand before you now
With trembling hands lifted high
Be glorified

Be glorified in me
Be glorified in me
Be glorified in me
Be glorified
Be glorified in me
Be glorified in me
Be glorified in me
Be glorified in me
Be glorified

You set my feet to dancing
You set my heart on fire
In the presence of a thousand kings
You are my one desire
I stand before you now
With trembling hands lifted high
Be glorified


Abba, Father, Daddy, thank you! You have taken me, an enemy of Your kingdom, You have redeemed and purchased my soul by the Blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. You have changed me and made me into Your own Glory! Thank you so much! Help me to live it out, I am Your son, made in Your image. Help me to bring Glory and Honor to Your name in all that I do. Help me to give You all the Glory and Honor and keep nothing for myself. More of You and less of Me! I pray this all in the name of Jesus, Friend, Brother, Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, God. Amen!

In Christ,

David

In You

Colossians 1:27-29
"To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."

"Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

The words "Christ in you" change the religion of Christianity, into something so much more.
There are many people in the world who claim to be "Christian". They go to church, say their prayers before bed, help their neighbors roof their house, they do all sorts of good things.
The writer of Hebrews says in Chapter 6:1 "Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God," Not laying again a foundation of dead works!
All works are dead....without Christ!

Without Christ, we can do nothing, we are nothing! But in Christ, we can do everything!

Paul says in Philippians 3:4-11
"Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
and in Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through him (Jesus Christ) who strengthens me."

Without "Christ in you", Christianity would be just like every single religion in the world. That is, works based.
Good works are only a byproduct of "Christ in you". The more we are filled with Christ, the more and more it shows through our everyday actions.
This process is amazing, because we don't loose our identity! We remain who we are! But we become our true selves! Who we were meant to be....In Christ!

This awesome relationship, which words cannot do justice, is what being a Christian is about!
All things I count as rubbish, that I may be found in Christ.

Jesus, where I am great, make me small. Less of me and more of you in me! Let me be a vessel for Your light to shine through to all peoples. Lead and guide my ways that You might be Glorified in all I do.

In Christ,

David

What was lacking?

Colossians 1:24-26
Paul's Ministry to the Church
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints."

Paul says in vs. 24 "I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions".
What does he mean by this?

In John 19:30 Jesus says, "It is finished," just before he died.
Growing up in the Christian faith we are taught about the finished work of the cross. Jesus did everything that was needed to redeem us, He paid the price in full upon the cross.
So what is Paul talking about?

Romans 10: 11-17
"For the Scripture says, 'Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

The only thing that was lacking in the afflictions of Christ was the message being carried to all nations. This is why when before Christ ascended into heaven after the resurrection, He gave the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:18-20
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"
This is also the commission that God gave to Saul/Paul in Acts 9.

There is nothing lacking in the Power of the Cross! But God has chosen to use us to spread the Good News that we can come into a right relationship with Him through Jesus!

"What are we here for, to have a good time with Christians or to save sinners?"
- Malla Moe

"I have seen, at different times, the smoke of a thousand villages - villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world."
- Robert Moffat

"The command has been to "go," but we have stayed - in body, gifts, prayer and influence. He has asked us to be witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth…But 99% of Christians have kept puttering around in the homeland."
- Robert Savage

"We talk of the second coming, half the world has never heard of the first."
- Oswald J. Smith

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of Hell."
- C.T. Studd

"A tiny group of believers who have the gospel keep mumbling it over and over to themselves. Meanwhile, millions who have never heard it once fall into the flames of eternal hell without ever hearing the salvation story."
- K.P. Yohannan

"I have but one passion - it is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ."
- Count Zinzindorf

"The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity."
- Mike Stachura

"Answering a student's question, 'Will the heathen who have not heard the Gospel be saved?' thus, 'It is more a question with me whether we who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not, can be saved.'"
- C.H. Spurgeon.

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't."
- John Piper

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."
- Jesus

I really like John Piper's quote, "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't."
Louie Giglio talks about this in his series For the Glory. We head out into the missions field with the mindset, "I am going to save someone from going to hell." But we should really be going out saying, "I am going to give God back the Glory that everyone is stealing from Him." God deserves all the Glory, for Everything! If it is not going to him, then it is being stolen by someone else.
Acts 12:20-24
The Death of Herod
"Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, 'The voice of a god, and not of a man!' Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. But the word of God increased and multiplied."

It is all about God's Glory, His Glory is manifest in Jesus Christ, and the only way that we can make sure that God receives all of His Glory is to tell people of Jesus Christ!

In Christ,

David

The Hope of Glory

Colossians 1:24-28
Paul's Ministry to the Church
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully know, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."

This is a wonderful passage of Scripture on many levels.
1. Paul is filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions
2. The tiny little phrase of 2 words....in you!
3. This mystery and the glory of God.

These will be the topics of my next 3 posts!

I might not be able to post until Monday....I have a lot of stuff coming up these next few days. If I can, I will start as soon as possible.

In Christ,

David

Praise His Name

Matt Redman
Intimacy
The Heart Of Worship

One thing my heart is set upon
One thing that I would ask
To know You, Lord, as close as one
Could hope to on this earth

Intimacy
O Jesus, intimacy
My treasure will be, O Jesus
Your intimacy

To look upon Your beauty, Lord
Your glory and Your heart
To know You close, and closer still
Each day upon this earth

Lord, since the day I saw You first
My soul was satisfied
And yet because I see in part
I'm searching, more to find

Matt Redman
Wonderful Maker
Where Angels Fear To Tread

You spread out the skies
Over empty space
Said, "Let there be light"
To a dark and formless world
Your light was born

You spread out Your arms
Over empty hearts
Said, "Let there be light"
To a dark and hopeless world
Your Son was born

You made the world
And saw that it was good
You sent Your only Son
For You are good

What a wonderful Maker
What a wonderful Savior
How majestic Your whispers
And how humble Your love
With a strength like no other
And the heart of a Father
How majestic Your whispers
What a wonderful God

No eyes has fully seen
How beautiful the cross
And we have only heard that faintest whispers
Of how great You are

What a wonderful Maker
What a wonderful Savior
How majestic Your whispers
And how humble Your love
With a strength like no other
And the heart of a Father
How Majestic Your whispers
What a wonderful God

Matt Redman
Nothing but the blood
Facedown

Your blood speaks a better word
Than all the empty claims I've heard upon this earth
Speaks righteousness for me
And stands in my defense
Jesus it's Your blood

What can wash away our sins?
What can make us whole again?
Nothing but the blood
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can wash us pure as snow?
Welcomed as the friends of God
Nothing but Your blood
Nothing but Your blood King Jesus

Your cross testifies in grace
Tells of the Father's heart to make a way for us
Now boldly we approach
Not by earthly confidence
It's only Your blood

We thank You for the blood
We thank You for the blood
We praise You for the blood
We praise You for the blood
Nothing but Your blood
Nothing but Your blood King Jesus

Chris Tomlin with Matt Redman
The Wondrous Cross
The Noise We Make

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name

Thank you Jesus, for all that you have done for me! I stand in awe, I fall to my knees and can do nothing in this moment but praise your name. Jesus, Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, God!

In Christ,

David

Prayer for the leaders

Hebrews 13
Sacrifices Pleasing to God
"Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?' Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Benediction
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. Grace be with all of you."

This is a wonderful conclusion to this book!
The Author says in vs 17, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

We are to submit to the authority of the leaders of our churches.
I have been to my fair share of churches. I have also had my fair share of roles in churches. In dying churches, the congregation is not in submission to those who are the elders and pastors; but in healthy/growing churches there is this wonderful balance of respect!
The leaders are appointed by God, and because they teach and lead, they are held accountable not only for their own lives, but also for what they are teaching others.
They have a great responsibility on their hands, they are keeping watch over our souls! We should honor them and especially pray for them! They they would be in a right relationship with Christ and that He would empower them to lead us in the direction that He wants.

Father, Thank you so much for the men and women that you have appointed leaders over your people. They have such a hard task set before them and the only way that they can accomplish that task is through You and with Your power. I ask that You would bless them and keep them strong in their personal walks with You. I pray that Your Spirit would be poured out upon them in power that they would be great witnesses to us and to the world for You. I thank you specifically for the leaders who have touched my life; Brian Berg, Jeff LoCaste, Jonathan Whitford, Doug Allord, James MacDonald, John Piper, Dr. James Dobson, Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder, and many more. I ask that you would bless and expand each of their ministries, keep them focused on You and Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

In Christ,

David

The Unshakeable Kingdom of Heaven

Hebrews 12: 18-29
A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, 'If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.' Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I tremble with fear.' But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made--in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Amen to That!
Our God is a consuming fire!
Thank you Jesus!

King David says this about Heaven,
Psalm 23;5-6
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

Thank you Lord, that you have an unshakable kingdom, and that you have given us the right to be called Your Children and live with you in Your Kingdom! It is such a tremendous honor. Please help me to live my life accordingly, always giving You Honor in everything.

In Christ,

David

God, the Greatest Father

Hebrews 12:3-17
"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no 'root of bitterness' springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears."

Isn't it true that discipline is painful? But, as we go through that discipline we learn from the mistakes that were made, so that we can avoid them in the future. And that brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
I remember as a kid being disciplined by my father. I always dreaded that point where my father would confront me. 1. I could tell the truth, and then get punished. 2. I could lie, only to have him find out and punish me later. Either option, I got disciplined!
Now looking back, I am glad that my father took the time to discipline me. Now I see that it was all out of love!
It is the same with God, except there is no possible way for us to lie to Him! He allows us to make mistakes, but corrects us when we make the wrong choice. And it is all because He Loves Us!

Yes, we are covered by grace, but we must still accept teaching and correction from our Heavenly Father. And when we do slip, fall, and make mistakes, we must remember to keep short records with God. Repent from the sin and turn back to Him as soon as possible. Living in sin is very dangerous. We should always repent before it is to late.

Jesus, You are the Creator and master of everything. Thank you for Correction and Discipline. Thank you for loving me enough to discipline me even though You know that it does hurt me, for a time, but is better for me in the long run. Please continue to work in my life, bringing me closer to you. Help me to keep short records with you when I do fall, always turning from my sins back to you. Also, please guard me from repeatedly falling into sin. Amen.

In Christ,

David

New Car?

So, my car '96 Plymouth Breeze died this past weekend. It was it's time!

So now I need a car.

And that very day I found this sweet Audi A6 Quatro! It has pretty much every option that you can get with an Audi.
It is a '00 with 93,000 miles selling for $14,000.
It will also have a warranty for 3 years / 36,000 miles that covers any kind of manufacturers defect. This adds $2,000 to the price, but for a foreign car, you need it.
I can afford it, by financing about $8000.
I aslo put $500 down already.

I have also been offered a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am for $10,000 with 25,000 miles.
And a Saturn 2002 for $7000 with 25,000 miles.

My delema is this: I would have to eat that $500 that I put down, and I wouldn't get a trade-in for my car with the Pontiac or the Saturn. My car would be worth about $500, so that is another $1000 off the Audi.

The other thing is that I need a large car, I am a very mobile person and need room to haul a lot of stuff. I also need a car that can take about 1,200 miles a month.
The Audi is the only car that is large enough, but the other two have a lot less miles.

I would like to know what Y'all think about New/Used Cars and Loans/Going in debt.

Please let me know what ya think! I have to make a decision by Friday.

Thanks,

Dave

The Founder

Hebrews 12:1-2
Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right had of the throne of God."
Just reading chapter 11, I realize what awesome company we are in. How these people lived their lives and what they endured for Christ, even though they didn't know Him (as we know Him, Jesus).
They all ran the race, and it give me a lot of encouragement that they finished, and helps to push me on to finish!
The focus must be on Christ, He is the only one to run the race and finish in perfection. That is the unattainable goal! But because He has already attained it, I can share in it with Him, because He has offered it.

Here are a few other verses that encourage me on this race:

Ephesians 5:1-2 "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, and he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Romans 12:1-2 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 "But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation."

Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

In Christ,

David