Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Fear Of God
The following is from Acts 17:11 Ministries titled "Fear of God." What if the Church in America today had a "God's burning presence in our lives..."
Is there a "burning presence of God in your life?"
Ps 19:9 (NIV) The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
Mike Yaconelli: "We have defanged the tiger of truth. We have tamed the lion... The tragedy of modern faith is that we no longer are capable of being terrified."
Acts 5:13 (NIV) No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.
Mike Yaconelli: "I would like to suggest that the Church become a place of terror again; a place where God continually has to tell us, "Fear not"; a place where our relationship with God is not a simple belief or a doctrine or theology, it is God's burning presence in our lives. I am suggesting that the tame God of relevance be replaced by the God whose very presence shatters our egos into dust, burns our sin into ashes, and strips us naked to reveal the real person within. The Church needs to become a gloriously dangerous place where nothing is safe in God's presence except us. Nothing--including our plans, our agendas, our priorities, our politics, our money, our security, our comfort, our possessions, our needs.
"Our world is... longing to see people whose God is big and holy and frightening and gentle and tender... and ours; a God whose love frightens us into His strong and powerful arms where He longs to whisper those terrifying words, 'I love you.'"
Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.acts17-11.com/fear.html
Is there a "burning presence of God in your life?"
Ps 19:9 (NIV) The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
Mike Yaconelli: "We have defanged the tiger of truth. We have tamed the lion... The tragedy of modern faith is that we no longer are capable of being terrified."
Acts 5:13 (NIV) No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.
Mike Yaconelli: "I would like to suggest that the Church become a place of terror again; a place where God continually has to tell us, "Fear not"; a place where our relationship with God is not a simple belief or a doctrine or theology, it is God's burning presence in our lives. I am suggesting that the tame God of relevance be replaced by the God whose very presence shatters our egos into dust, burns our sin into ashes, and strips us naked to reveal the real person within. The Church needs to become a gloriously dangerous place where nothing is safe in God's presence except us. Nothing--including our plans, our agendas, our priorities, our politics, our money, our security, our comfort, our possessions, our needs.
"Our world is... longing to see people whose God is big and holy and frightening and gentle and tender... and ours; a God whose love frightens us into His strong and powerful arms where He longs to whisper those terrifying words, 'I love you.'"
Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.acts17-11.com/fear.html
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Will All Hope Perish On That Last Day?
When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes. Proverbs 11:7
Most of us have no idea when death will come knocking on our door. Any day could be our last. Will your expectation perish on that day? Will all hope be gone forever?
Many people think all will be fine because “they are a good person.” Or maybe they believe “all roads lead to God.” Or “there is no God, no judgment.” If this is you, does your beliefs line up with the Bible? Or have you molded God into your liking?
Click on the link below:
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
And the hope of the unjust perishes. Proverbs 11:7
Most of us have no idea when death will come knocking on our door. Any day could be our last. Will your expectation perish on that day? Will all hope be gone forever?
Many people think all will be fine because “they are a good person.” Or maybe they believe “all roads lead to God.” Or “there is no God, no judgment.” If this is you, does your beliefs line up with the Bible? Or have you molded God into your liking?
Click on the link below:
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
Thursday, December 16, 2010
What Is Fear Of The Lord?
Have you ever pondered what "fear of the Lord" means?
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever
Hebrews 12:28 (New King James Version)
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken,
let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence
and godly fear.
Fear of the Lord is respecting Him. It is having a reverence for Him. It is knowing and trusting that He knows what is best, and obeying what He says.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3374&t=KJV
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?type=getTopic&topic=Fear%20of%20God&DictList=6#Nave's
Proverbs 8:13 (New King James Version)
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
Psalm 111:10 (New King James Version)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever
Hebrews 12:28 (New King James Version)
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken,
let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence
and godly fear.
Fear of the Lord is respecting Him. It is having a reverence for Him. It is knowing and trusting that He knows what is best, and obeying what He says.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3374&t=KJV
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?type=getTopic&topic=Fear%20of%20God&DictList=6#Nave's
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Goodness Of The Lord
As a child of God, who trusts in Him,
I can always count on the goodness of the Lord.
When trials and troubles come my way,
the goodness of the Lord will see me through.
Psalm 31:19 (New Living Translation)
How great is the goodness
you have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,
blessing them before the watching world.
I can always count on the goodness of the Lord.
When trials and troubles come my way,
the goodness of the Lord will see me through.
Psalm 31:19 (New Living Translation)
How great is the goodness
you have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,
blessing them before the watching world.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The LORD Is Good
Have you tasted the Goodness of the Lord?
Psalm 34:8 NKJV
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
This is not suggesting "I will give the Lord a try and see if my life gets better."
But the only way you know the Lord is good and real is to walk with Him and see. Many people say there is no evidence for God. Others have grown up in the Church but have not tasted the goodness of the Lord. When you truly repent of your sins and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior you start to see the goodness of the Lord. You grow in a personal relationship with Him and you know He is real. He lives in you and directs your path. You become a new creation in Christ Jesus!
Psalm 34:8 NKJV
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
This is not suggesting "I will give the Lord a try and see if my life gets better."
But the only way you know the Lord is good and real is to walk with Him and see. Many people say there is no evidence for God. Others have grown up in the Church but have not tasted the goodness of the Lord. When you truly repent of your sins and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior you start to see the goodness of the Lord. You grow in a personal relationship with Him and you know He is real. He lives in you and directs your path. You become a new creation in Christ Jesus!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Will You Dwell With The Lord Forever?
Psalm 84:10 NKJV
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
See:
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
See:
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
Friday, November 19, 2010
Spiritual Refreshment in a Dry and Weary Land
Read this article by Steve Gallagher and give it some thought.
O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; my soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)
This world is a dry and weary land. Nothing will deaden a person’s spiritual appetite like the spirit of this world. Even believers with the best of intentions find that their passion for God wanes in the spiritually polluted atmosphere around us. And the more immersed we become in it, the more dry and weary become our souls. Every minute we spend watching television, listening to secular radio, surfing the Net, playing video games, reading newspapers & magazines, strolling through the mall—and a thousand other activities which beckon us—the more barren we become spiritually.
The deception of it all is in the innocuous nature of these different pastimes. While many TV shows could have a quick and powerful effect on me spiritually, watching a segment of Headline News is not going to drive me away from God. Reading the Sports page—in itself—is not going to make me spiritually dull. The problem is how much accumulated time people spend in these different pursuits. By the end of any given day, it is not abnormal for a believer to have spent two or three hours filling his mind, in one fashion or another, with the voice of the spirit of this world.
Most believers understand from past experience that the more time they spend in worldly activities, the more difficult it will be to break into the presence of God during their devotions the following morning. They will have to fight through that fog Jesus called “dissipation:” the spiritual hangover that comes from being drunk with the things of this world. It is simply a fact that the world deadens spiritual sensitivity.
One would think that spending time in the world would create a great thirst for the rivers of life, but actually it has the very opposite effect. The things of this world give a person a false sense of fulfillment. It’s like filling up on soda pop when the body needs pure water. The more cola a believer drinks, the less thirst he will feel for the real thing. I made this same point in an article I once wrote regarding the place of pleasure in the life of the believer:
Making pleasure the most important aspect of one’s life could be compared to a teenager who thinks he can live on candy bars and soda pop. True, he won’t drop dead within a few days of such an unhealthy diet, but his quality of life will be seriously impaired. The constant intake of sugar will gradually rot his teeth, deplete his overall energy level, and could even lead to something serious such asdiabetes . Worse than that, by substituting healthy food with sweets, his body will not receive the nutrition that is required to ward off sickness and to sustain life. Undoubtedly, over a long period of time the results of such a lifestyle would be a sickly life and an untimely death.
In the same way, pleasurable experiences are meant to be thedessert of life. Kept in its proper perspective, it is balanced by the staples of the healthy spiritual diet of prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, deeds of kindness, giving of tithes and offerings, and so on. However, when gratification becomes the main focal point of one’s daily existence, it not only rots a person’s spiritual life, but it eventually chokes out everything that is wholesome.
I can remember a time in my life when I sorely lacked the presence of God. This deficiency was not from indulging myself in the pleasures of life. By the time I had been in ministry for five years, I had given up watching television and going to worldly places and I even maintained a daily two-hour devotional time. And yet, something was terribly missing. In my autobiography, Out of the Depths of Sexual Sin, I wrote about the struggle I was going through:
I wasn’t the only one who felt this lack. Kathy and Lance were aware of it in their lives as well. “Where is the bubbling fountain of life? Where is the abundant life promised to all believers in Christ? Where is the all-consuming love for God and others? Where is the joy of the Lord?” We couldn’t understand why our spiritual lives seemed so dry and lifeless. Over a period of months, we continually cried out to God for Him to do something for us.
The second half of that book describes how the Lord was faithful to answer those cries. Over a period of time, He began coming to us in a very powerful way. He gave us a marvelous sight of Himself that forever changed our lives. The following story provides a glimpse into the way the Lord has filled our thirsty souls.
On one occasion the staff decided to spend an entire day seeking the Lord for a deeper infilling of the Holy Spirit. Anticipation built up during the days leading up to it. We didn’t know what to expect. On the one hand, I wanted to encourage everybody to believe God to do something marvelous in our midst. However, I was also concerned that we would get our hopes too high and set ourselves up for a real disappointment.
We culminated a three-day fast during the day of prayer. That morning was spent worshipping the Lord, meditating on Scripture, and praying both silently and corporately. I started getting a little concerned when no “tongues of fire” had settled on the chapel roof by mid-afternoon... I frankly didn’t know what to do. As we were sitting there, I walked up to the platform to grab some cough drops. As I passed Jeff on the way back to my seat, a surge of love for him rose up in my heart. I hugged him and told him that I loved him. Then I noticed Rose sitting there and I felt love for her; so I did the same with her. Suddenly the entire chapel was filled with an atmosphere of overflowing love. Everybody stood up spontaneously and began hugging each other. This was not the gushing sentimentalism of emotional people but a real outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When it was all over, we could testify along with the apostle Paul who said, “...the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5)...
Ten years prior to this—back in 1992—Kathy, Lance and I had pleaded with God for the abundant life evident in the Scriptures. God has marvelously answered our prayers! Pure Life Ministries has become a well for other thirsty souls to drink from the living waters of Jesus Christ!
The believer who thirsts for God – like a deer pants for streams of water – limits his time in this world. He rises early and cries out, “O God, Thou art my God!” There is a thirst for God and the things of God that cannot be quenched. He longs for “the Fountain of Living Waters,” and refuses to drink from the “broken cisterns” of this world.
To the Old Testament saints, the Lord cried out, “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:1-2) This should be a loud message to believers today who tend to look to the unsatisfying trinkets this world offers.
To New Testament believers Jesus exclaimed, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38) Those living waters are available for every believer.
Let us forsake the stale, dirty water offered by the world’s broken cisterns. They may temporarily wet the throat, but they can never quench the thirsting of our souls. Instead, let us keep going to the Fountain of Life—again and again and again—until we thirst no more!1
1. http://www.purelifeministries.org/index.cfm?pageid=287&articleid=127
O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; my soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)
This world is a dry and weary land. Nothing will deaden a person’s spiritual appetite like the spirit of this world. Even believers with the best of intentions find that their passion for God wanes in the spiritually polluted atmosphere around us. And the more immersed we become in it, the more dry and weary become our souls. Every minute we spend watching television, listening to secular radio, surfing the Net, playing video games, reading newspapers & magazines, strolling through the mall—and a thousand other activities which beckon us—the more barren we become spiritually.
The deception of it all is in the innocuous nature of these different pastimes. While many TV shows could have a quick and powerful effect on me spiritually, watching a segment of Headline News is not going to drive me away from God. Reading the Sports page—in itself—is not going to make me spiritually dull. The problem is how much accumulated time people spend in these different pursuits. By the end of any given day, it is not abnormal for a believer to have spent two or three hours filling his mind, in one fashion or another, with the voice of the spirit of this world.
Most believers understand from past experience that the more time they spend in worldly activities, the more difficult it will be to break into the presence of God during their devotions the following morning. They will have to fight through that fog Jesus called “dissipation:” the spiritual hangover that comes from being drunk with the things of this world. It is simply a fact that the world deadens spiritual sensitivity.
One would think that spending time in the world would create a great thirst for the rivers of life, but actually it has the very opposite effect. The things of this world give a person a false sense of fulfillment. It’s like filling up on soda pop when the body needs pure water. The more cola a believer drinks, the less thirst he will feel for the real thing. I made this same point in an article I once wrote regarding the place of pleasure in the life of the believer:
Making pleasure the most important aspect of one’s life could be compared to a teenager who thinks he can live on candy bars and soda pop. True, he won’t drop dead within a few days of such an unhealthy diet, but his quality of life will be seriously impaired. The constant intake of sugar will gradually rot his teeth, deplete his overall energy level, and could even lead to something serious such as
In the same way, pleasurable experiences are meant to be the
I can remember a time in my life when I sorely lacked the presence of God. This deficiency was not from indulging myself in the pleasures of life. By the time I had been in ministry for five years, I had given up watching television and going to worldly places and I even maintained a daily two-hour devotional time. And yet, something was terribly missing. In my autobiography, Out of the Depths of Sexual Sin, I wrote about the struggle I was going through:
I wasn’t the only one who felt this lack. Kathy and Lance were aware of it in their lives as well. “Where is the bubbling fountain of life? Where is the abundant life promised to all believers in Christ? Where is the all-consuming love for God and others? Where is the joy of the Lord?” We couldn’t understand why our spiritual lives seemed so dry and lifeless. Over a period of months, we continually cried out to God for Him to do something for us.
The second half of that book describes how the Lord was faithful to answer those cries. Over a period of time, He began coming to us in a very powerful way. He gave us a marvelous sight of Himself that forever changed our lives. The following story provides a glimpse into the way the Lord has filled our thirsty souls.
On one occasion the staff decided to spend an entire day seeking the Lord for a deeper infilling of the Holy Spirit. Anticipation built up during the days leading up to it. We didn’t know what to expect. On the one hand, I wanted to encourage everybody to believe God to do something marvelous in our midst. However, I was also concerned that we would get our hopes too high and set ourselves up for a real disappointment.
We culminated a three-day fast during the day of prayer. That morning was spent worshipping the Lord, meditating on Scripture, and praying both silently and corporately. I started getting a little concerned when no “tongues of fire” had settled on the chapel roof by mid-afternoon... I frankly didn’t know what to do. As we were sitting there, I walked up to the platform to grab some cough drops. As I passed Jeff on the way back to my seat, a surge of love for him rose up in my heart. I hugged him and told him that I loved him. Then I noticed Rose sitting there and I felt love for her; so I did the same with her. Suddenly the entire chapel was filled with an atmosphere of overflowing love. Everybody stood up spontaneously and began hugging each other. This was not the gushing sentimentalism of emotional people but a real outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When it was all over, we could testify along with the apostle Paul who said, “...the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5)...
Ten years prior to this—back in 1992—Kathy, Lance and I had pleaded with God for the abundant life evident in the Scriptures. God has marvelously answered our prayers! Pure Life Ministries has become a well for other thirsty souls to drink from the living waters of Jesus Christ!
The believer who thirsts for God – like a deer pants for streams of water – limits his time in this world. He rises early and cries out, “O God, Thou art my God!” There is a thirst for God and the things of God that cannot be quenched. He longs for “the Fountain of Living Waters,” and refuses to drink from the “broken cisterns” of this world.
To the Old Testament saints, the Lord cried out, “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:1-2) This should be a loud message to believers today who tend to look to the unsatisfying trinkets this world offers.
To New Testament believers Jesus exclaimed, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38) Those living waters are available for every believer.
Let us forsake the stale, dirty water offered by the world’s broken cisterns. They may temporarily wet the throat, but they can never quench the thirsting of our souls. Instead, let us keep going to the Fountain of Life—again and again and again—until we thirst no more!1
1. http://www.purelifeministries.org/index.cfm?pageid=287&articleid=127
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Do I Flatter Him With My Mouth Only?
Psalms 78:36-37 NKJV
Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue;
For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
The question we should ask of ourselves:
Do I pretend to be a Christian on Sunday morning?
Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue;
For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
The question we should ask of ourselves:
Do I pretend to be a Christian on Sunday morning?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Why Do We Do Evil?
2 Chronicles 12:14 NKJV
And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.
The questions we should ask of ourselves:
Have we prepared our hearts to seek the LORD?
Are we seeking the LORD with all our hearts?
Or does He just have a small place in our hearts?
And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.
The questions we should ask of ourselves:
Have we prepared our hearts to seek the LORD?
Are we seeking the LORD with all our hearts?
Or does He just have a small place in our hearts?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry 2009 Official Trailer
At first I thought this would be a slow movie, however once I got into the movie, I fell in love with it. The story shows how one Godly man life effected the lives of many people. How we live our lives as Christians is so important, and the movie shows we can make a difference in other peoples lives. I loved the character of Jonathan Sperry because of his love for the Lord and how he used his God given wisdom to reach the kids in the neighborhood. I would highly recommend watching the movie with your kids. My grand kids loved the movie also.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A Change Of Seasons
I am pleased with the fact summer is finally coming to an end here in the Valley of the Sun. It has been a long and hot summer. But none the less, it was a good summer. Every year in spring I look forward to summer. Then when August and September rolls around, I am ready for cooling off. Now I will be able to enjoy things with loved ones outdoors such as a walk in the park with my girlfriend or a trip to the zoo with the grandkids. Oh, and how I enjoy reading the Bible out on the back patio on a nice cool morning while drinking a warm cup of coffee. Or setting under a shade tree listening to the birds and wind through the trees relfecting on Jesus and how good He is.
While it is nice to look forward to what lies ahead in the fall, this is a good time to reflect on the wonderful things of last summer and thank God for His blessing. One awesome thing to be thankful for is the extra time I was blessed to have with my girlfriend. She works two jobs most of the year, but in the summer only one job. With me working swing shift, our time is usually limited. I also took her to meet my mom in July. I am thankful to have my mom still living and we were able to go visit her. She is in her upper 80’s, so thank you Lord Jesus for that blessing.
While it is nice to look forward to what lies ahead in the fall, this is a good time to reflect on the wonderful things of last summer and thank God for His blessing. One awesome thing to be thankful for is the extra time I was blessed to have with my girlfriend. She works two jobs most of the year, but in the summer only one job. With me working swing shift, our time is usually limited. I also took her to meet my mom in July. I am thankful to have my mom still living and we were able to go visit her. She is in her upper 80’s, so thank you Lord Jesus for that blessing.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A Trial May Be At Hand
This life can and does throw many hard and challenging trials our way. We lose loved ones, lose our jobs, serious illnesses to cope with and people who want to harm us. What a wonderful comfort, as a believer in Jesus Christ, to know God is with me. Right now I am looking at the possibility of going through another trying time. The economy is in bad shape and my current employment is on shaky ground. My employer is downsizing and people are being laid off.
I do not know what the future holds. Maybe I stay employed, maybe not. The good news, I do not have to worry because I know the one who holds the future in His hands. Yes, I am human and I do tend to worry. Even fear things at times. But what a comfort it is to know Jesus is with me. I know from Scripture, I have a future and a hope.
If I get laid off from my job, I will look to Him to carry me through. I will praise Him still because I know He holds me in the palm of His hand. I will trust He will work everything for good. The Lord will either take down a different path in life; or the Lord will keep me working where I am at. Whatever the case may be, I will rejoice because He is with me.
I do not know what the future holds. Maybe I stay employed, maybe not. The good news, I do not have to worry because I know the one who holds the future in His hands. Yes, I am human and I do tend to worry. Even fear things at times. But what a comfort it is to know Jesus is with me. I know from Scripture, I have a future and a hope.
If I get laid off from my job, I will look to Him to carry me through. I will praise Him still because I know He holds me in the palm of His hand. I will trust He will work everything for good. The Lord will either take down a different path in life; or the Lord will keep me working where I am at. Whatever the case may be, I will rejoice because He is with me.
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