Sunday Celebration - Both Good & Necessary

 As a believer, it's good to gather together in unity for corporate worship. 

It is good ... to draw strength from one another.

It is good ... to have fellowship with one another.

It is good ... to hear a message from the Lord.  

It is good ... to use our spiritual gifts while encouraging one another in the faith.

As good as those things are, and they are very good, 

they can sometimes cause us to miss that which is necessary.

Seeing Jesus. 

Holy and Exhalted. High and Lifted Up.

Seated at the right hand of the Father. 

The One Who Paid It All. 

I truly pray you enjoyed the 'good' of corporate worship today. 

Whether you were distracted or not, 

I believe you will be blessed by the video link below:

Happy Lord's Day. 

  

Could You Define Winning?

Webster’s defines winning as: having a victory. 

Victory is defined as: overcoming an enemy, or having success in a struggle against great odds or difficulties. 

Did you catch that? The victory comes when we overcome. 

Overcome what? Great odds and difficulties.  It's not a question of if, but when.    

When the trials come, Webster's isn't gonna be much help. No, this kind of help comes only from God's Word. We find great comfort in the sovereignty of God when we face trials. For example, did you know ... 

• You were chosen before the foundation of the earth. (Ephesians 1:4)

 

• Before God formed you in the womb, He knew you. (Jeremiah 1:5)

• He created you for specific good works. (Ephesians 2:10)

• You were uniquely fashioned by God to walk in those good works. (Romans 12:6)

At birth, everyone receives natural abilities and strengths but only believers receive spiritual gifts. When you accepted Christ, you received at least one spiritual gift. The spiritual gifts you received were chosen specifically for you according to the good works also chosen for you before the foundation of the earth. 

In receiving these gifts and abilities, you can choose to set them aside in disappointment and pursue something that looks better; you can neglect them because of fear or laziness; you can develop them for your own personal gain; or you can cultivate and practice them as offerings back to God. 

When you choose to acknowledge everything you have been given (your abilities, strengths, talents, health, wealth, and physical attributes) were given to you by God’s design and according to His purpose, then you will learn to trust His heart. When we learn to trust God’s heart, we learn to obey Him. 

So, to answer the question we started with, winning can be defined as: choosing to accept the sovereignty of God. With trembling knees, we fix our eyes on Jesus, and we follow Him. For His glory. That's winning. 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10  

Forgiveness ... When It Makes No Sense

It has been said actions speak louder than words, I agree. Therefore, today will be an illustration.

The song, Forgiveness, by Mathew West, was inspired by an amazing story of a mother's forgiveness. She offered forgiveness to the person responsible for taking her child's life. This man, the one many believed she should despise, became like family to her. If that weren't enough, she also spoke on his behalf pleading mercy and had his sentence reduced to half. She wanted him to have a second chance in life. She knew he didn't deserve it. Yet, she freely offered it.

Some would call that crazy. Some would say unjust. I say, that looks like Jesus.

We, too, were once convicted. Undeserving of our freedom or even our lives. Jesus showed us compassion, mercy, and grace. He wanted us to have new life. He pardoned us. He forgave us. He set us free. Following Jesus will lead us to forgiveness. Forgiveness, even when, it makes no sense.

New Year Motivation Is Never Enough

Tis the season for New Year Resolutions.

Now normally, it's about mid-February before people throw up their hands in defeat under the weight of the vows they made on December 31st. It appears, this year, the surrender came a tad bit earlier for one of my Twitter buddies. The "tweet" simply read, "It's gone. I've looked everywhere. My motivation is gone."

I must admit, that's funny. Because it is so, so, so very TRUE. New Year Motivation isn't gonna carry you very far. Nope, it's never enough.

• I am not saying we shouldn't want this year to be better than last year.
• I am not saying we shouldn't set goals.

I AM saying we need more than motivation. We need unwavering, unshakable determination. 

Unwavering, unshakable determination comes from abiding in Christ.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7)

So often, we get this backwards. We resolve to do this or that and then foolishly ask God to follow us. Is there any wonder we run out of steam?

We must begin by ... abiding in Christ.

Then, as we listen to Him guide us through His Word, we surrender our will to His Will.

Jesus leads, we follow.

Want a fool proof New Year Resolution ... Abide in Him, allow His Word to abide in you, and follow His lead. Now that's a winning "better" year resolution.


Father God, fill our hearts with a desire to abide in Christ. Show us what it means to abide in Jesus. Show us what it means to have His Word abide in us. May 2013 be the year that we can boldly say ... Jesus led the way and I followed. Amen.

What Could Have Been - Part 2

The service was simple .... but powerful.

The pastor began by reading my uncle Danny's obituary.

... just a few words which had been chosen by his family to represent (in print) his contribution and his impact during his 62 years of life.

And then the pastor began to share (from the fullness of his own heart) the transformation he had witnessed in my uncle Danny during his final days on earth.

There was a change. A dramatic change. A change in my uncle's heart and mind.

What was the change? His surrender to Christ.

My uncle Danny first met Jesus when he was a child but he didn't bow his knee to Him until just a few short days before he died.

There wasn't a dry eye in the chapel as we listened to the pastor describe the change that had occurred in my uncle Danny's life.

The JOY.

The CONTENTMENT.

The PEACE.

The LOVE.

The change that occurs when we surrender ourselves to the LOVE of Christ.

I just can not tell you how happy I am that my uncle Danny experienced the fullness of Christ's Love in his final days on earth. But I know my uncle Danny would want you to know ....

Our time on earth is short. The Bible describes it as a vapor. It goes quickly!

We have no promise of tomorrow.

We are told ... TODAY is the day of salvation.

Today, if you hear His voice DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART.

And we are promised .... ALL that call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Have you called upon the name of the Lord.

Have you been changed by His Love and His Grace?

"Where Were You" Part 2

Scared is a gross understatement (see part 1) - I was terrified! And I was not alone... Even the high paid and "prepared for anything" network TV news people were unable to mask their fear. The disbelief in their eyes, and their white-washed faces proved there are things so horrific, so incomprehensibly evil, no one can fully prepare. We were eye-witnesses of this evil on 9.11.01, and many (including myself) were shaken to the very core of their belief ... In an instant, everything changed.


In the midst of the chaos, I was compelled to locate my family. After hearing their voices, and having the assurance of their present safety, we were able to discuss a plan of action in the event the attack came closer to our home. Then overwhelmed by emotion, and unable to watch as the graphic images were being replayed over and over again, I turned off the TV. As I sat alone in silence in my living room, I realized I had not been "here" before. This was a "new" experience. This was a new crisis of belief. And this crisis, like any crisis of belief, required a decision. There was a call to action, no time to stand still. I could either run away in fear or I could run to my God with my fear. I am happy to say, by the grace of God, I ran to Him with my fear.

I ran to Him with my disbelief.
I ran to Him with my fear.
I ran to Him with my anger.
I ran to Him because I knew there was nowhere else to run.
And that is why I am forever changed.

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Are you scared?

Are you angry?

Are you rocked to the very core of everything you have ever believed?

You, my friend, are in crisis.

A crisis of belief.

You have one of two choices:

1. Run away in fear.
2. Run to the One who can take away your fear.

His name is Jesus, and He is faithful.

He is the ONLY One who is able to take away your fear.