Isaiah 43:1-3

Isaiah 43:1-3 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you I have summoned you by name; you are min. When yo pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God.”

This verse was posted by a very courageous lady, Brenda Ladun, who is undergoing her second major battle against cancer.

Great blog posts...

I read a couple of very well done blog posts by my pastor from my college days. Check out his excellent website, Early Church History - CH 101 and his posts about "Water Baptism in the Primitive Church" and "Wine in the Ancient World - Part 1". Really good stuff!

The Word of God found while tailgating!

Ephesians 2:10 (New International Version)

10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I Love You, Lord!

Do you have any worship songs that you always come back to on a regular basis? I do. There are songs that just rise up in my heart sometimes. One of those is this song:

Here is the story behind this precious worship song. Read this short story!

I love you Lord and I lift my voice

To worship You O my soul rejoice

Take joy my King in what you hear

Let me be a sweet, sweet sound In your ear

I love you Lord and I give my life

To worship You under pain and strife

Take joy my King in what you see

May I be a sweet sacrifice Unto Thee

God Bless America

An eternal perspective...

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE PUT ON THIS EARTH TO DO.

God's call

Last week marked the anniversaries of the deaths of Princess Di and Mother Teresa. One was celebrated due to her status as a potential Queen of England. The other labored in relative obscurity.

So many people measure their lives by the success and position they hold. Mother Teresa labored form many years seeing very little results from her work. One time she was asked how she could go on seeing so little results. Below is the reply that was attributed to her:

"God has called me to obedience not success."

We would all do well to remember this.

A moment in time

Today, I attended the funeral of one of the older saints in our church. During the service Pastor related a story I wanted to share.

Jake was a WW2 veteran. He accepted Christ at the age of 11. During the war, he was in a foxhole with one of his buddies. During this time God allowed Jake to share the Gospel with this young man. Minutes later that foxhole was hit and that young man stepped into eternity and into the prescence of God. Because of Jake's faithfullness and obedience to share that man met his Maker right with Him.

I want to encourege all Christians to consider Jake's example and be faithful and obedient. I encourage non-Christians to consider the other young man. Any presentation of the Gospel you hear could be your last chance to know God.

Take advantage of this moment in time God has given you.

Another look at Psalm 23

This is precious! Check this video out!

I know the PLANS I have for you!

I know the PLANS I have for you,

declares the Lord,

Plans to PROSPER you and not to HARM you,

plans to to give you HOPE and a FUTURE.

Jeremiah 29:11

Tony Dungy

I read a good article today. Thought I would share.

http://tpe.ag.org/Articles2007/4863_Dungy.cfm

Saw another good quote today. As usual, though I would share.

There are two freedoms: the false where a man is free to do what he likes; and the true where a man is free to do what he ought.-Charles Kingsley

You are so blessed!

Have you ever had a down day? Who hasn't? We all do that. Sometimes the reason we get down is that we look at our circumstances and compare them to the circumstances of other people. That can get us down. Sometimes we compare our circumstances to what we would consider an "ideal" situation.

The problem is that we often pick out our worst circumstances and focus on those. God never promised that everything would go our way. What we do so often though is ignore the truth of how good we actually have it.

If we are going to play the "comparison" game, we should compare ourselves to the rest of the people in the world, past and present. We might also compare ourselves to Christ Himself! Most of us who are able to read this post will have to admit that we fare quite well.

Enjoy this presentation and reflect on just how blessed you are today!

A couple of thoughts...

from the past week...

Jeremiah 29:10-13
"This is what the Lord says 'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fufill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart....' "

God wants to be found, however, He wants us to be willing to give all we are and have to find Him. Are you willing to seek Him with all your heart today?
******
Also heard Jeff Foxworthy say something on an awards show I thought was pretty good. He was speaking of God being a prominent part of country music. He said that we were not trying to offend anyone but the evidence we have seen of God working in our lives trumps the opinion of those offended.

Once again the greatest proof we can give of His existence is what He has done for us personally. Our personal testimony is one of the greatest tools we have.

They'll Know We Are Christians

Does this bring back any good memories? They don't write many like this any longer.

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

By our love, by our love

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

By our love, by our love

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

Love is patient, love is kind
Never boasts, not full of pride
Always hopes, always trusts
The evidence of Christ in us

I was given an insight today in church that I never really thought about before in these exact terms. I love it when that happens! 3 John 6 says that we should "send them on their way in a manner worthy of God." Pastor Steve Britt of Northbrook Baptist Church in Cullman, Alabama had a very good illustration of this passage. He said, basically, that we should treat everyone as if they were Jesus Himself. That is obviously scriptural. What a challenge, though, huh?

What would you say to Jesus if he was your co-worker, neighbor, person who sat next to you in church, etc.? We should treat everyone with the same level of respect and love we, as Christians, have for the Lord!

Re-Simply Christian

It's not so much that being a Christian is about doing the right things or not doing the wrong things. It is about the pursuit of a person-Jesus Chrtist. It's about getting to know the heart and character of God. What He is really like. If we pursue Him with a vengeance then all the things that are bad for us will naturally fade out of our lives.

One of my favorite definitions of a Christian I heard years ago came from the late Keith Green. A Christian is someone who is bananas for Jesus.

Simply Christian

Thought I would share a quote from the above book by N.T. Wright.
"Christian holiness is not (as people often imagine) a matter of denying something good. It is about growing up and grasping something even better." (pp.236-237)

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

Hebrews 12:1-2

"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 hand of the throne of God."

Here is a really good discussion about this verse.

Anyway

I first heard this song a month or so ago. It's not explicitly Christian but I still think it gives us a lot to think about, particularly the chorus.

AnywayMartina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren (BMI)
You can spend your whole life buildin'Somethin' from nothin'One storm can come and blow it all away Build it anyway
You can chase a dreamThat seems so out of reachAnd you know it might not ever come your wayDream it anyway
(Chorus)God is great, but sometimes life ain't goodWhen I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anywayI do it anyway
This world's gone crazy and it's hard to believeThat tomorrow will be better than todayBelieve it anywayYou can love someone with all your heartFor all the right reasonsAnd in a moment they can choose to walk awayLove 'em anyway
(Repeat Chorus)
You can pour your soul out singin'A song you believe inThat tomorrow they'll forget you ever sangSing it anywayYeah sing it anyway
I sing I dream I love anyway