Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Starbucks

My wife and I stopped in for a cup of coffee the other day. While travelling toward home, she read me a quote on one of the cups. It was titled "The Way I See It #275:
When I wake up in the morning, I want to know that my family, friends and fans know what I believe in and what I'm all about. That's what should be important. Robert Randolph"
I don't know who Robert Randolph is.
I do know that we had just come from Sunday School where we talked about the Big I being the cause of sIn.
At first blush, we talked about how this was an example of the Big I.
I decided that was worth putting on the Blog.
However, as I have contemplated this, I realized there may be more truth to this than I first thought.
We are finishing up a study on discipleship at our Wednesday night group, where we have emphasized the importance of witnessing to our faith in the Lord.
When I apply Mr. Randolph's thoughts to that, I am forced to ask myself these questions:
Does everyone around me know what I stand for?
Do they know what I believe?
Can they tell from simply observing my life what is most important to me?
Can people see that Jesus is Lord by noting my actions?

What about you?

http://www.practicalbibleteaching.com/

Friday, April 18, 2008

All Gloom and Doom?

I lifted the following quote from a prayer alert that was sent to me today:
Worse yet, if the vacancy doesn't occur until after the November elections and conservatives do lose control of Congress, we can very likely kiss goodbye our current opportunity to shift the Supreme Court of America. This would be the most devastating setback of our day. The consequences are unthinkable. The killing of babies and pro-death culture would continue, God would continue to be unwelcome in schools, government and public life and another generation would spiral further downward into Godless, humanistic relativism. Our God-given destiny in America could be lost indefinitely, perhaps forever. We simply cannot allow this.

This is a major thrust of the article that was sent to me. It is a call for prayer, and that part I can relate to. I cannot, however, relate to such statements as "likely kiss goodbye our current opportunity" or, "America could be lost indefinitely, perhaps forever."

Fear will not drive us to believing prayer. It drives to frantic prayer without much belief.
God honors faith, not fear. (Heb. 11:6)

Another implication from the alert is that we change things at the political level. Again, I can relate to that; but it is not the area of our greatest concern.
Not only are the weapons of our warfare not carnal, what we war against is not visible. (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

To go to the voting booth without having bathed in prayer is foolish. It is also foolish to simply vote for a "pro-life" candidate. There is more to governing this nation than a particular ideology.

Why can we not vote for someone who has given their heart to the Lord? That is not a question that is asked. Consequently, Mike Huckabee had to state it everytime he had the chance. Where is he now?

As praying Christians, we need to find the mind of God for this election. Then we need to vote in that direction. We will not necessarily find the mind of the Lord in the latest polls, or in a candidate's voting record.

Remember, voting records are a distortion of truth in this country.

Pharoah, Saul, the Midianites, and the Assyrians were all raised up by God for a purpose.

We need discerning of spirits to operate once again in the church; not a line-up of ideological agreements.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

How We Got Here--Two Views

A little girl asked her mother, 'How did the human race appear?'
The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made.'
Two days later, the girl asked her father the same question.
The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.'
The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?'
The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.'

Thursday, April 3, 2008

I'd Love to Pray!...But How?

Do you ever start to pray for someone and then think, "What am I supposed to pray for this person?" Or do you ever find yourself praying VERY generally such as, "Lord, bless 'em"?
We are given an insider's glimpse into Jesus' prayer life through the gospel of John (chapter 17). In this chapter, it is as if John pulls us in close with him to hear Jesus crying out to His Father on our behalf. We find that Jesus had something clearly in mind as He prayed for His disciples. He prayed for their Destiny and their Unity. Those two words alone could fill a book!

On Sunday, we will be covering "How Do We Pray for Those We Are Discipling?" Please read John chapter 17 in preparation for Sunday's message!

Did you hear that? Listen closely to Jesus in prayer, I think I just heard your name cross His lips!

Pastor Noel

According to the Scriptures

1 Cor. 15:3--For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,

According to the Scriptures--I believe this is a place that the people of God are returning. We have wandered away. We have gone into the paths of the world's teachers. We have found them wanting.

I have my own experience in this, and I receive mail from others who have also tasted of the desert realm. Dry. Dusty. Lifeless.

I have tried to have fellowship with those who have left off the Word of God for the new teachers, but I find it lacking in adding to my life. Indeed, I find it draining.

Without the Word of God hidden within our heart, we are not able to fulfill Paul's admonition in Col. 2:8--Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

We were warned about the New Age movement decades ago, but the church went there anyway. Now God is once again calling His people to be People of the Book.

Are you a person of the Book?
Do you have a daily practice of spending time in the Word?
Do you use your knowledge of the Bible when talking with others?