The Word Of God

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Romans 1:16

Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it.

Psalms 119:140

    For the past few days I have been plagued by a statement I read. When the word of God is read what is your first thought? Do you hear the words like someone reading a story? Do you hear some good instruction like the latest self help book? Do you hear the voice of God speaking to you?
    God's word is more than just an old book it is God communicating with us. Not just with mankind but speaking specifically to you and to me. He is speaking to everyone who loves Him and is willing to listen. While within the pages you can find a message of hope to the world you will also find God speaking to you right where you are, no matter what the situation. They are not just words to read they are truth and words to live by.
    When you hear God's Word what is your response? What are your thoughts?

By:Dan Follette

Just sign and Drive....ha I don't think the car lots had this in mind!!!

I had to forgive someone this morning. Two people actually. You see I was driving back to work from my lunch break and there was a car in front of me that was driving abnormally slow. They were also swerving around in a way that made it impossible to go around. I quickly realized that two things were taking place. Number one: I was witnessing for the first time in my life, two people clearly arguing IN SIGN LANGUAGE while driving down the highway!!! It was a sight to behold to say the least. My mind has never imagined that scenario before so when I actually witnessed it….it took me a minute. (Let me say I have nothing against people who use sign language, I think it is an amazing skill and I have nothing but love for my ASL using brethren.) it just freaked me out a little that’s all, and I was seriously worried for their safety.


Number two: I was genuinely upset by these people who where in my way, and not driving as fast or as straight as I would have liked for them to be.

I needed to forgive; and I needed to be forgiven.
There is a chance you are tired of hearing about this subject. There is an even greater chance that I am tired of writing about it. Believe me when I say I would rather be pelted by corn-hole bags from the hands of a 14 year old sore loser…(Sorry Dakota..much love to my favorite back yard adversary). Anyway… the truth of the matter is this. Until we figure it out. It needs to be talked about. And from what I’ve been seeing. It needs to be talked about more often than not.

It’s so easy to get upset with People. Sometimes it’s petty things like:

1. slow driving signers lost in heated conversation,

2. someone used the last of the toilet paper roll and forgot to refill the dispenser

3. someone ate your cheese cake

4. Someone caused the wait at Cheddar’s to be 30 to 45min instead of 15-20.



And other times it’s really “big” things, like:

1. Someone spread lies about you and your family

2. Someone stole from you

3. Someone molested you or someone you love

4. Someone murdered your child

5. Someone did……….


YOU CHOOSE THE ISSUE. Because you see, it’s not the issue that even matters. It’s the response.

Who told you that “your issue” got to decide whether or not you forgave?


What gives you the right to say, “I can never forgive this person.”?

Since when did the bible ever say, “If you do not forgive men their sins your Father will not forgive your sins….unless the sin against you was a “really big one”, then God is okay with your disobedience and selfishness”?


Oh yea that’s in
Matthew 6:15-The watered down and totally re-written-to-fit-my-lifestyle, not God's standards, version.


I know it’s hard….sometimes it’s RRRREEEAAALLLYYYYYY hard. But it is still required.


The Mercy of God is New EVERY morning.

The question is …….. is Your mercy new every morning too?

Revival

When I sat down to write this post I had every intention of writing something that would, in the end, convince you that we need revival to sweep through our church. I was fully prepared to give a plethora of scripture references that would motivate you and “pump you up” for Jesus and revival. It was coming. I was bringing my “A” game today folks…
Then I heard a still small voice- as crystal clear as any I’ve ever heard. It sent chills down my spine.
This is what it said.
“Don’t tell them we need it…..tell them ...it’s here. There is only one thing left to do. Receive it by faith.”


God has done what he said He would do. Now I am asking you to receive it. walk in it. Swim in it.

don't know how?

It is a 4 step process.

It looks like this:
2 Chronicles 7:14

“If my people, who are called by my name, will (1) humble themselves and (2) pray, and (3) seek my face, and (4) turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin, and heal their land”



“the river is rushing………and the river is here.”

Sanctification = Killing Reluctance

I am officially a fan of Keith Drury. Keith has been writing books for a long time. He has written dozens of books and Teaches Christian Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University.


I am currently reading his book “Holiness For Ordinary People” and I gotta say, It totally nails the dilemma in our church.
Much of this post contains Keith’s Thoughts…not mine….so it’s definitely worth the read!

Here goes:
Sanctification is a word that we all should know. “It begins the moment we become a Christian. Since sanctification is all of God’s inner work transforming us into Christ likeness it has already begun…it happened when we were born again… But we need more of Christ and Christ needs more of us…God continues to perform a gradual sanctification in us day by day, making us more like Jesus” (Drury, 17)



Actually I got that part already….you probably have too

Here is where I was ROCKED.

It is safe to say that for the most part we equate sanctification with the gradual elimination of sin in our lives…..right?
And that’s true....
And as a church I feel that those of us who embrace this teaching are moving in that general direction.

However it is also equally true that Sanctification results in greater service for the kingdom!!!! …..oh my goodness.



Pop the balloon of self righteousness and mop up the spill of excuse juice that I hear nearly every week from dear saints in our church.

“It doesn’t fit my personally”

“I’m too old”

“I’m too young”

“I’m too shy”

“I’m not qualified to do that”

Can we take all of those excuses and put them in a stretchy hefty bag along with all of our Stryper cassettes and with that other excuse that I used last week when I was watching something I shouldn’t have been on TV. Has anybody else every said…. “I was just flipping the channels!”?

And let’s burn them in a ceremonial “Excuse Cremation”


We need Sanctification power for 2 things:
Power over Sin
And
Power for Loving Service

Case and point.

Guy in our church. We’ll call him Raz. Felt what he called “a holy spirit ulcer” eating at him to join the worship team. Didn’t match his personality….GOD DIDN’T CARE!!

So he joins the worship team…now he is denying his shy-ness nearly every week… serving God..Fufilling his calling....
Oh and last week…he sang a one verse solo….. You rock Raz

"Oh God, Light the fire on all the Excuses and may it burn along with it all of our reluctance to serve you."
                                                   
                                                                                                                                    -Josh

Learning Lessons from Little Lunch Ladies

I happen to work at a local Middle School. Love my Job! but sometimes, like the majority of humans, i get a little frustrated
Okay so was going through the salad bar line today for lunch. i usually don't eat here because its middle school cafeteria food. but today i figured, "It's salad. no one can screw with that too much." so i approached with my compartmentalized tray in hand.
…there were two rather large signs. One read “Choice of two meats” the other "Two meats only!!"

I thought to my self, "hmm. Be careful with the meat choices, Joshie. These people mean business."

So I look and notice only one meat—ham. No problem I like ham. Ham is delicious. All is well.



I also put some cheddar cheese and some eggs and some onion and broccoli and imitation bacon bits.(yummy…I know)
It's important to note:

I am the first one in the line and actually the lunch lady is still putting stuff out.
So I say to her, “I notice the sign said two meat choices and that you were still putting things out. Is there another meat choice that you will be putting out instead of just ham?" She looks at me and says smugly, “there are five meat choices out here already. The eggs the ham the shredded cheese, the cottage cheese, and the imitation bacon bits!!

Okay wait one cotton picking---( please see blog related to Christian cursing) minute!!!
Was she even for real????? I look around to see if I’m getting punked. Ashton Kutcher is no where to be found. This lady is offended that I only thought there was one meat in her line!
Are we officially eliminating the dairy food group??? Sure I understand that cheese comes from milk, which comes from cows.. (Or any number of other mammals.) And I can even see where one could make the argument that an egg is a meat because if you fertilized it, and then sat on it for 28 days in the right conditions it would eventually become a chicken which is, in fact, a meat.
I just immediately pictured a nervous 6th grader cramming for his first big FCS test on the major food groups and receiving the devastating news from our narcissistic lunch lady that cottage cheese is now a meat.
And for the record- If cottage cheese is a meat…. Wouldn’t plain milk be a meat as well? If that is the case…I owe our lunch ladies some more money because I apparently consumed way too much meat today.

Diced meat

Shredded meat

Cottage meat

Imitation bits of meat
Then I washed it all down with a carton of skim meat!


I think for the sake of learning correct information…we should make them at least change the sign to say “two meat, or animal related choices.”
Spiritual applications:

Patience
Long suffering
Praying for others
Fasting


I still haven’t fully figured out which category the imitation bacon bits go into.
Have great day!!!!
Josh

Shaken......

A few weeks ago I posted a quick blog requesting everyone to pray for Austin Kirby and to go visit the website and sign the guest book. Essentially, what I did was ask you to "put yourself into someone else trial". Let me be the first to say….. That is so hard to do- even if we have a sincere heart and good intentions- even if we do mention Someone’s name during our prayers for weeks- even if we sign the guest book….. It is nearly impossible to feel what that person or that family is feeling on the “inside” during those times where the world is falling apart.

I believe That is why at different times in our lives….we have to go there for ourselves.


My son, Isaiah, starting having seizures a couple of weeks ago. He had been running a mild temperature that day and had been given a TDAP shot a few days earlier. (can’t totally point the finger at the TDAP shot….but let’s just say I’ve got plenty of reasons to scratch my chin…..)
Anyway…. when a child or close familiy member, Specifically, YOUR CHILD starts experiencing something that is beyond your control it instantly breaks you open and crashes you and your securities all over the floor. There is no worse experience than being totally helpless and having to watch your son or daughter, suffer. In that moment, I would have done anything to make the shaking stop. I would have given my life…

The next part is the Key….after the helplessness had sunk in a little bit and I realized that there is NOTHING I could do….I had a choice.

Run to Jesus....
or
walk away completely.

This is "The Crossroad of tragedy."

“Jesus, I fully trust you to take care of my son.”
 Or
“Jesus, you don’t care about my son. I am through with you.”
I was at that crossroad for the first time in my life. Let me just say…Although the circumstances leading up to that moment are ALWAYS less than appealing… I pray that one day you stand at that same fork in the road. Why? Because when you let go of everything that you have ever trusted in, (i.e. your strength, your money, your friends and family, doctors, lawyers, books, ect….) and you lay every single ounce of your broken mess at the feet of Jesus. Something inside you releases.

Your spirit is set free.

Peace washes over you.

Love overflows

Every Burden....Gone

You have no doubt whatsoever that you and your family are in the arms of the One you were destined to be in since the beginning of time.
The only sad part.....
 It was all because... there was absolutely no where else to go.

The irony is…as soon as I got there… I realized there is no where else I’d rather be.



Father, at the risk of sounding like a completely insensitive father myself, I say thank you for Isaiah’s seizures. They shook MY entire perspective of who You are and just how much you love your children. I trust you. I trust you. I trust you. I trust you….

Have you been there?
What did it change about your life?
Has it worn off?

Do you need a new "Shaking"?

Yuck

If I could add to my Previous Post I would add one additional “Least favorite thing”......I promise this gets Spiritual…just read.



11. I really dislike it when people throw up around me. I mean one minute I’m sitting at work minding my own business, typing up a report for my boss, then, all of a sudden… out of the corner of the classroom there comes this…..**open mouth gag** ….followed by another **open mouth gag** and I just close my eyes and think to myself, “I have one of the smallest classrooms in this school. There are enough smells already lingering in this tiny, storage closet of a room… if this kid throws up in here, on my floor, I am going to seriously consider renting a ninja to take this kid, his Air Jordan backpack, and his vomit, to a secluded area in the jungle to dispose of all three of them.” Luckily there was a trash can within my reach. I instinctively jumped to my feet, grabbed the can and hurled it towards the heaving individual. And on the third **open mouth gag**….it all came tumbling down…I was just in the nick of time!!!....I of course thought to myself, “wow…I don’t need to rent a ninja….I am a ninja…and he should really learn to chew those chocolate donuts more.”

This of course got me thinking about throw-up and how different people approach it. As far as I know, there are three schools of thought concerning “vomiting”:
1. I Have To Vomit As Quickly As Possible to Get It Out and Over With – these people understand that usually when they vomit they instantly feel better. When they feel it coming. They run to the toilet, and force themselves to look at the inside rim. The vomit quickly arrives. Then they get up. Take a few deep breaths, brush there teeth and go on about their day! My wife falls into this category. I envy her and anyone else who belongs here.

2. I Vomit because it is easier than Buying all those Slimfast Shakes. That is not even funny and you need to get some help.

3. I Vomit only when it is the LAST POSSIBLE OPTION and I can no longer hold it down!!! – Unfortunately I fall into this category. I would rather be absolutely miserable all day long, sometimes multiple days instead of doing what I know is going to eventually have to be done anyway. It hurts to throw up. It’s hard to breathe, it’s smelly and embarrassing. Who would willingly go do that??? even if they knew it was going to help???


Waiting on the Spiritual Application?????? Here it is:

I wish we would view SIN like MY WIFE views vomiting.


I know it’s inside of me festering and I hate it. I have to get it out as quickly as possible so that I can get on with my life.

The problem is we usually view sin more like I view vomit. That is: Even though I hate it and know it is eventually going to have to go. I know it will hurt to get rid of it, so I am going to hold onto it as long as I can. I instead choose to continue to live in pain and hurt because I know if I get rid of it, it is going to be painful and hurt.…….WOW. That doesn’t even make sense when you read it on paper. But that’s what we do.

Jesus Said The wages of sin is death. He also tells us that he himself is like my wife when it comes to throwing up… Revelation 3: 15-16 “I know your deeds that you are neither Hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other. Because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of my mouth.”

He is not going to let your sin linger in his presence. It's going to make Him hurl. I Promise. Neither should we let it linger in ours… get it out…..throw it up.