With Love

So we just finished our talk about what it does and doesn’t mean to be a follower of Christ, and we have finished our series in Galatians. I hope this series brought to lite the reality of what Jesus did for you on the cross and you can't add to that. Our next series will start in a couple of weeks. I will post more on this later. In the mean time...show some LOVE!

PJ

Jesus +

Infusion: Our new series starts this Sunday, Dear Galatians. The first lesson's bottom line; What Jesus did on the cross was enough to make us "in" with God!

See ya!

Dear Galatians

Dear Galatians:

Series Overview:
We all like to receive letters. These days they come primarily in an e-mail but in Biblical times, letters were handwritten. The apostle Paul wrote a lot of letters, many of which are included in the Bible. His letters were intended to help the early church sort out what it meant to really follow Jesus. But the Galatians may not have been too excited to get Paul’s letter to them because Paul was mad. The Galatian church was a mess. People were saying that what Jesus did on the cross wasn’t enough. They were looking around them and determining who was in with God, and who was out. So Paul set out to bring some clarity to the situation in the passionate, sound way that only He could. And while this may seem like a great look back in history, we probably have more in common with the Galatians than we would care to admit.

Session One: Jesus + (7/11/10)

If Paul was around today, he would be emailing and tweeting all the time—and for good reason, people needed his help. God had placed Paul in a strategic point during the early church to help bring some clarity to the chaos. And there was chaos . . . a lot of chaos. People were trying to add to the gospel, saying Jesus’ death and resurrection weren’t enough. That it needed a few extra things to help someone “be a Christian” and be “in” with God. That got Paul fired up, and he set out to clear things up. And thousands of years later, Paul’s words are a great reminder for us because it’s easy to think and act as if what Jesus did wasn’t enough.

Session Two: The Checklist (7/18/10)

What does a Christian look like? Stop for a minute and think about that, because aside from the basic belief that Jesus was the Son of God, He died for our sins and rose from the dead, there are some things that most of us would add to that. Maybe our response would be someone who reads the Bible or helps people in need. Maybe it’s someone who prays every day and attends church regularly. Maybe it’s someone who has memorized a bunch of Bible verses and knows a lot about the Bible. But we also have some responses we probably wouldn’t feel very comfortable saying aloud—things like the kind of music someone listens to, what someone wears or what someone says. So what does a Christian look like? The answer is probably a lot more simple than we make it out to be.

Session Three: With Love (7/25/10)

So with all this talk about what it does and doesn’t mean to be a follower of Christ, does that mean that a Christian doesn’t do anything? Not exactly. It’s not always about what you do, but your reason for doing it. For example, are you reading your Bible because you want to love God and others more, or are you reading it to prove how spiritual you are to anyone who asks? It’s the “why” factor. So are you doing what you’re doing because you’re motivated by love—love for God and love for others—or by something else?

Family Experience: Imagine the End
The Galatians lost their focus and started emphasizing the wrong things. That’s easy to do, isn’t it? In the sometimes chaotic world of raising a family, sometimes we can lose sight of who and what we are ultimately pointing children towards.


I’m Not God

By Reggie Joiner

As a father of almost-grown children, I have lived through several stages of parenting. I remember walking into my office one day and looking at the rows of books I had collected on family issues. One of my daughters had been through an extremely difficult situation, and I was panicked and frustrated. As I grabbed books off the shelf, I recall saying out loud, “The problem I’m dealing with right now is not in any of these books!”


Sometimes I don’t have an explicit revelation from God that tells me immediately what I’m supposed to do. Sometimes there are no simple solutions, no clear paths of action, no quick fixes; there is just God. Somewhere along the way I have learned to lean on a principle I refer to as “imagine the end.”


The fog usually begins to lift when I mentally fast-forward to the final chapter of my children’s lives and ask a pointed question: Who do I really want them to become? I know that in the middle of that answer is an understanding of who God is. Then I imagine the end and remember that God is writing His narrative. When it comes to my children, the most difficult thing I have ever done is to trust God to show up and do what only He can do. (Did I mention that I have control issues?) Some days I just need to be reminded that my family is part of a bigger picture and that God desires to demonstrate His redemptive power through us. He even leverages the most frustrating conflicts in my family life to remind me that He is God. That day in my office, it was if He seemed to say,

I am not trying to make them happy;

I want them to really live.

In the middle of their pain,

I can be a better friend than anyone, even you.

I am the only one who can really love them unconditionally, forgive them forever, and be a perfect Father.


So maybe you just need to trust Me enough so they can see Me.


Besides . . .

With all your issues, I think it’s probably better for them to trust Me more than they trust you.

Isn’t it more important for them to love Me more than they love you?

I can heal their hearts; you can’t.

I can give them eternal life; you can’t.

I am God; you’re not.

YOU CAN’T COMPETE WITH GOD

As strange as it sounds, I think I have made the mistake of sometimes trying to compete with God. Instead of pointing to Him, I tried to be the hero. There is a critical difference between being an influence or leader in my kids’ live and trying to be everything to them. I have always believed wise leaders in the church work hard to keep God in the spotlight, and the same principle applies to parents. Smart parents will strive to make sure they are not trying to become a substitute for God.

I am learning how important it is to fast-forward to who I want them to become. When I imagine the end, it enables me to distinguish more clearly between what matters and what matters most. And as much as I want my relationship with my children to be everything it should be, it’s much more important that they are pursuing a right relationship with God.

I am really excited about this series, it is going to be great! I look forward to seeing you here.

Be Blessed

Change

It's time to make a change...Are you ready???

I have added some new songs!!!

Nothing Is As It Appears

As I was riding in to work this morning and fellowshipping with the Lord I kept thinking about how nothing is as it appears. It reminds me of when I was a kid and I looked over to the corner of the room and the shadow that was very small would grow larger and larger by the minute until it appeared to be a monster. I would roll over and turn on my lamp only to find nothing. The monster that appeared to be in the corner of my room was only a shadow that appeared as something it was not as my fear grew stronger.

Today as I look at situations around me I can say "nothing is as it appears". Those problems that seem to be big as monsters are only trying to stop you from moving forward in God. That is their purpose, to appear stronger than they are. That is how they get strength, from your fear. They tell you how you can’t make it, how they will destroy and kill you if you make a move. They will speak curses over you and plant seeds of doubt in your heart. It's not as it appears!

Lord, open our eyes today and shine the light on everything around us. Lord, we will turn our eyes toward you today. Help us look into your eyes, help us look into your eyes of love. I ask for your help in renewing our minds so we are able to look at all of our situations through your eyes. I thank you today for giving us a new perspective on our futures and showing us that our futures are not as bad as they may appear. Lord, help us to move and operate in the authority that you have provided for us in the name of Jesus.

Amen

Zephaniah 3:16-17

“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

How many times have you tried to throw in the towel this week, much less this year? I want to encourage you to hang in there. Stop chasing those mirages that tend to lead you astray. Look for the new streams of life that the Lord is sending your way. Do you realize the Lord; your God, is living inside you?

Today we will sing of His mercies, grace, and love. We will say that He is a mighty God who is bigger than our desert places.

Today we will realize He laughs and giggles when He see’s our happiness. Our father in heaven wants good things for us.

Today we will speak to that FEAR that is trying to hold us back. We will move forward in the Lord with Love in our heart, soul, and mind.

Today we will listen for a new song. Why? Because the Lord is singing a new song over us today! Listen for the joyful song He is rejoicing over you today.

Selah

Think on This!

Matthew 22:37-39 (The Message)

37-40 Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

To Love, to Be Loved

The Message 1 John 4:17-19

17-18God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and matures in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

19We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

Today we will not let fear run our lives. Fear is only false evidence appearing real. Fear tries to cripple you, deform you, and keep you from moving forward.

Today we will move forward in love, we will take up permanent residence in a life of love. We will not let us being fearful; keep us from pursuing our dreams. We can accomplish all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Today we will choose to look at each other after the spirit and not the flesh. We will choose to see the positive in all situations and not focus totally on the negative.

Today we will love and be loved.

In Christ

I Say to Myself

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

When you read the scripture above it is hard to imagine the hell the author was referring to in the previous passages.

Lamentations 3:1-19

I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger. He has led me into darkness, shutting out all light. He has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead. He has walled me in, and I cannot escape. He has bound me in heavy chains. And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers. He has blocked my way with a high stone wall; he has made my road crooked. He has hidden like a bear or a lion, waiting to attack me. He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces, leaving me helpless and devastated. He has drawn his bow and made me the target for his arrows. He shot his arrows deep into my heart. My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs. He has filled me with bitterness and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink. He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.

Wow, have any of you ever went through anything like that? It reminds me of the desert life. He has given up, lost hope on everything. But then he makes a profound statement:

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:

What is he remembering? He is remembering that God is faithful and the faithful love of the Lord never fails. He also is remembering that everyday is a new day with the Lord. This morning His mercies are new and fresh.

Now I want you to notice something. In verse 24 he speaks to himself: I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” In these desert times you must encourage yourself in the Lord, David would speak to his soul and ask why are you cast down, rejoice in the Lord.

I truly believe you should never quite, never give up. Start speaking life to your situations. The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lift your hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, I will trust in you Lord and You will deliver me from the snare of the fowler. I say today that you will send streams into my desert; You will cause my desert place to flourish and be prosperous.

I will continually bless your name.

In Christ

The Desert

One of the definitions for "Desert" is any area in which few forms of life can exist because of lack of water, permanent frost, or absence of soil. Over the last few weeks the Lord has kept bringing the fact that there seems to be allot of people living in this place called the desert. They are not living there in the natural but spiritually, they have seemed to make their place in the desert, and have found themselves chasing a mirage.

The interesting thing is in some instances the spirit leads us into the desert to prepare or train us for something He has called us to accomplish in the future. The other case is you have led yourself into the desert by choices you have made in life and now you have to walk those choices out. The bottom line is we are not to make the desert our final destination. We are to look for the Lord in these trying times.

Isaiah says the wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing.The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Isaiah 35:1-3

One thing you can do when you find yourself in the desert is to speak to the fear that tries to overtake you. Isaiah does just that in chapter 35

Tell fearful souls, "Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here, on his way to put things right and redress all wrongs. He's on his way! He'll save you!"
Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped, Lame men and women will leap like deer, the voiceless break into song. Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness, streams flow in the desert. Hot sands will become a cool oasis, thirsty ground a splashing fountain. Even lowly jackals will have water to drink, and barren grasslands flourish richly…

I believe that those streams of water are about to start to flow into our deserts. The heat you are feeling is about to become a cool oasis, that dry cash flow is about to become a splashing fountain. We have been in the desert long enough, I see the streams flowing our way. It is going to get better.

Be Blessed

Complete

God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. The Message 18 20-24

Today place the pieces of your life before God. He can put you back together and give you a fresh start. I believe "to get your act together" means to allow Christ to come into your life. That's it, nothing more nothing less. Believe me as I tell you today that you cant be good enough or do enough good to please God. It is only by the blood of the Christ that places us in right standing with God. So what do you say? Open the book of your heart to His eyes today and let the love of Christ fill you up and He will give you a fresh start.

Be Blessed

Sing Your Way Out

Psalm 18
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Again I say, "sing to the Lord today".

Selah

Lift Up Your Head

Psalm 59:16 (Amplified Bible)
But I will sing of Your mighty strength and power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning; for You have been to me a defense (a fortress and a high tower) and a refuge in the day of my distress.

In times of trouble or great stress in your life, when you feel overwhelmed, its easy to start focusing on how you cant make it or how bad things are in your life. When this happens, stop focusing on the problem and start focusing on the solution, sing of Gods mighty strength and power. One word from the Lord can change any and everything in a blink of the eye. Today put your trust in His strength and power, not your own. Declare those things that are not as though they are. Get into the secret place of the most high God and relax, take a deep breath, then speak Gods word concerning you situation, He will listen, He loves you.

Sing aloud today of His mercy and loving-kindness, sing aloud blessings, sing to your soul. I know, things seem to be bad and you are saying, I do not know what to sing. I will give you something you can sing aloud, "The Word of God"!

Psalm 103

BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits--

Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness.

He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge.

He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe].

For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.

As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more.

But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children's children.

To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts].

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word.

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure.

Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!

Sing with me today.

Be Blessed

Love on God Today!

However, as it is written:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him".

1 Corinthians 2:9 (New International Version)

Hello, can you hear God screaming "I have good things in store for you TODAY". Can you believe with me that God, the all sufficient one, wants to bless you TODAY? Today I will proclaim that He is more than enough, He will meet all my needs according to His word. He has divine appointments set up for me Today, and He has something great in store for me. All things are possible to those who believe!

Selah

Pay Attention

Attention, Israel!

God, our God! God the one and only!
Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Come on, lets not give in now. Focus your energies toward Christ. Choose to seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these other things will come to pass.

You have a choice "today" to help set your future. What will you choose? Life or death, blessing's or curses? Choose life! Choose Christ!

Those who don't create the future they want must endure the one they get.

In Christ

Anything Can Happen

There Are No Ifs

When they came back down the mountain to the other disciples, they saw a huge crowd around them, and the religion scholars cross-examining them. As soon as the people in the crowd saw Jesus, admiring excitement stirred them. They ran and greeted him. He asked, "What's going on? What's all the commotion?"

A man out of the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought my mute son, made speechless by a demon, to you. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and goes stiff as a board. I told your disciples, hoping they could deliver him, but they couldn't."

Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." They brought him. When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a seizure, causing him to writhe on the ground and foam at the mouth.

He asked the boy's father, "How long has this been going on?" "Ever since he was a little boy. Many times it pitches him into fire or the river to do away with him. If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!"

Jesus said, "If? There are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!"

Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the vile spirit its marching orders: "Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you—Out of him, and stay out!" Screaming, and with much thrashing about, it left. The boy was pale as a corpse, so people started saying, "He's dead." But Jesus, taking his hand, raised him. The boy stood up. The Message Mark 9:14-27

Today, just believe anything is possible!

Selah

Spirit & Truth

John 4:24 (The Message)
"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."

Today, look deep inside of yourself. Get past all the clutter that hides who you are and find the true you, the God you. Have a little talk with Jesus, just you and Him, the real you. The strength you get from this type of true worship will amaze you. Today, worship the Father in spirit and truth!

Selah

Humble Yourself

James 4:7-10 (The Message)

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.

Selah

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns -- January 12, 2010:

The spirit of divination is on the rise. It has once again reared its ugly head to control and manipulate apart from responsibility and legitimate authority. Sharpen your discernment and watch for the manifestation of this spirit to interrupt the flow of My Holy Spirit, says the Lord. Those who allow this spirit to work through them have opened a door and made a way through self-will and rebellion. Stand strong and unwavering in My guidance, for I will direct your steps with the gentle nudging of My Spirit.

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.