At the Feet of Jesus
December 18, 2008
As 2008 comes to a close, I find myself in awe over Jesus. Each year I get to know Him in a different way. It absolutely blows my mind that I can personally know the Creator of Heaven and earth. As I look back over different seasons of my life I always find that Jesus not only shapes me and conforms me to His image, He also reveals new characters of Himself to me. I usually can name a new one each time. If I could use one word to describe God’s character revealed to me this year it would be, “Mercy”.
While preparing this letter, I reflected on the past 3 Christmas letters that I have written and I found that each one had particular difficult situations. In 2005 we were waiting on a job. Just around the corner in 2006 we picked up our family and moved to another state for ministry. Last year we lost my grandmother and watched my father battle a nasty cancer. But, none of our family was prepared for what would happen this year. None of us knew that dad would leave our world so soon and enter our Saviors. No one was ready for this! The pain, confusion and grief were indescribable. But during this unbelievable time we witnessed the hand of God and felt His presence like never before. What Mercy!
After spending nearly all of January in Texas with my mom, I whirled home in order to prepare for a brand new women’s ministry the LORD had called me to. Already sure that I was totally incapable of the calling before me, taking on a new ministry while dealing with terrible grief seemed an impossible task. Buried in studies and overcome with speaking anxieties each month, the LORD became my confidence. I was met with intense spiritual battles head on all along the way while serving in this new capacity. But God in His great mercy clothed me with strength to endure every bit of it.
The love and gratitude I have for Jesus overflows with in me. I’m drawn to the text in the gospel of John where I find Mary of Bethany at the feet of Jesus. The account reads, “Mary took a bottle of very expensive perfume made from pure nard and poured it on Jesus' feet. Then she dried his feet with her hair.”(John 12:3) I love this picture. Mary, out of love and gratitude for Jesus is found anointing Jesus’ feet with a very costly perfume. Spending time at someone’s feet was the work of a servant and a woman with her hair unbound was not a common sight in public. The incredible picture that we find in this biblical text is Mary pouring out her life in an intense personal devotion to Christ.
In the verses following we find out that the perfume was worth 3 hundred denarii. (The equivalence of about a year’s wage) Matthew and Marks gospels give testimony that some thought this was a total waste. (Mk 14:4; Matt 26:8) I have a feeling many today would scorn the behavior of one who would pour out a years worth of wages on Jesus’ feet. Think about that for a minute. What do people these days do when they have saved a year’s salary? If it is all spent in devotion to Jesus how do people react? Sadly, I believe that most would exclaim as those already mentioned, “what a waste”. Yet, Jesus describes it as a beautiful thing! (Mark 14:6)
When we get a glimpse of who He really is and what He has done for us, one can’t help but fall at His feet and give it all away! As the great hymn by Isaac Watts says, “Were the whole realm of nature mine- That were an offering far too small- Love so amazing, so divine- Demands my soul, my life, my all.” I can not think of myself in any other place than my life poured out at the feet of Jesus in total devotion, giving everything to Him for all He has done in my life. Saving me from the pit of hell was alone more than I deserve. But the fact that he goes way beyond that and gets personally involved in individuals lives and gives hope, comfort, strength and great mercy when we need it is something I’ll never understand.
At Christmas, in the midst of all the buying, decorating and celebrating some may give Jesus a glance. Others may perhaps meditate on what the birth of Jesus meant. But I hope you do more. I hope you’ll find that there is no greater place to be in this life than to be poured out at the feet of Jesus. Not just at Christmas time but at all times. There you’ll find that there is really no cost and no loss. Nothing wasted. There you’ll find all you need.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Brittnie
All the way my Savior leads me
Who have I to ask beside
How could I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my guide
All the way my Savior leads me
Cheers each winding path I tread
Gives me grace for every trial
Feeds me with the living Bread
You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me
All the way my Savior leads me
O, the fullness of His love
O, the sureness of His promise
In the triumph of His blood
And when my spirit clothed immortal
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages
Jesus led me all the way
Jesus led me all the way
All the way my Savior leads me
Lyrics by Chris Tomlin (Hello Love Album)
Ladies,
Our last REVIVE for 2008 is this Thursday night the 20th at 7:00pm in the Student building.I'll finish up our study on Jeremiah chapter 2 and focus on verses 12-13.
Hope to see you there!
Brittnie
It's finally here! My new ESV study bible has been on back order and it FINALLY came today! I am currently just observing it, taking in it's brand "new" smell and just dreaming of the places that God will take me with Him in this new in depth study of the WORD!
I can not wait to dig into it!
If you have not heard about this new study bible you'll want to check it out here. ESV STUDY BIBLE
It is probably by far the best study bible around.
Anyone see the article called "Why Believe in a god? Just be good for goodness sake?
click here for full article
Thoughts?
I felt like posting this again. I wrote it this time last year.
Understanding the Times
Daniel 9:1-3 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom- in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
This passage so stuck out to me that I couldn’t help but write about it. Let’s look at this together. For a little background, All Israel had transgressed God’s law and turned away, refusing to obey the LORD their God. (Dan 9:11) and because of their unfaithfulness to the LORD, He scattered them both near and far in all the countries. (vs.7) In particular God had exiled Judah to Babylon and the people were in captivity. Daniel was one of those from the tribe of Judah who had been exiled to Babylon. But Daniel, even as a young teenage boy resolved not to let the pagan culture in which he now lived to be an influence on his life as a child of God. He lived in faithfulness to his God all the days of His life.
And here we are at this passage when Daniel was old in age and we see him searching the scriptures. He is reading the prophecies of Jeremiah which tell of a 70 year captivity and he understands that the LORD will deliver His people out of captivity just as He delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Daniel understands the times. He realizes that through the Prophecies of Jeremiah and the length the people have been exiled that the time of captivity is drawing to a close and the LORD will be faithful to restore His people.
Now Daniel, understanding the prophecies and believing in God’s soon coming restoration does something so interesting. He turns to the LORD God and pleads to him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. Amazing! Why did He do this? Why wasn’t he sitting back and carrying on with his life while waiting for Gods restoration? We see very clearly through his incredibly passionate prayer that he offers up to the LORD in verses 4-19 that he is praying for his sins and the sins of God’s people will be forgiven and he is mourning over them. The people that bore the very name of GOD had been living life their way and were not turning to the LORD and God punished them. Daniel prayed for his people to turn from their sins and return to God.
This raises the hair on the back of my neck. Daniel KNEW the times and he prayed and fasted for his people!
Do we know the times that we are in? As believers are we searching scripture to understand where we are at in our day and age? In Matthew chapter 24 Jesus gives us signs of the close of the age. Jesus tells us in vs.12 that in the last days we will see an increase in wickedness and the love of many will grow cold. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 tells that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
I’d say that describes our day pretty accurately, wouldn’t you? And by reading these God breathed texts what are we doing about it? Jesus says in Matthew 24:32-33 that we can learn a good lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he (Jesus) is near, at the very gates. Check your own spiritual pulse and the pulse of professing believers today. Do we understand the times? Or are we still going about our daily lives unconcerned about the sin in our lives or the spreading of the Gospel and totally disconnected from the Kingdom work that is to be done before Jesus’ return.
I am quickly reminded of Matthew 24:37-40 which says for as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Let this not be us! Let us be like Daniel who searched the scriptures and understood the times and cried out to God with prayers and petitions and with fasting on behalf of their sin and let us turn to the LORD with all our hearts to be ready on the day that the Son of Man returns. The time is drawing near.
Brittnie
From Beth's Blog.
To my beloved Sisters who I esteem so highly and consistently find to be part of the solution to our problems in the Church rather than the cause,
Please join me in praying for our President-elect Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, and his precious daughters, Sasha and Malia. Go with me before the Throne of our sovereign God and ask Him to grant wisdom from above to President-elect Obama and the indwelling presence and power of Jesus Christ. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior..."
Please also join me in the active and deliberate pursuit of unity and purity in the Body of Christ at this historical time in our country. I implore you in Jesus Name to have zero tolerance for prejudice whether it is regarding party-affiliation, color (whether you are Black, White, or Brown), economics or the like. Disagreement is not sin. Prejudice is. Satan has plotted events and planted attitudes that, should he be successful, will result in havoc. We must not stand for his schemes or cooperate in a single way. We would severely displease God and invite untold chastisement upon Christ's Church in our nation. Speak clearly to your children and graciously but emphatically draw a line in your work places and social circles regarding your stand against prejudice of any kind.
"Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'" (Matthew 12:25) A united house stands. A divided house falls. The devil has much to gain. But he also has much to lose.
We are the Body of Jesus Christ and we have an opportunity to show His character. This is our watch. We stand for what is right not from our feet but from our knees.
I humble myself before you and make these pleas under such bold direction of God that I could not resist it nor disobey it. He made it a fire in my bones.
I love and esteem you so much. Shoulder to shoulder, Dear Siestas. Let's leave not one inch for the enemy to come between us.
Beth Moore
Good stuff from A.W. Tozer’s "Paths To Power" .
The (Early) Church was not an organization merely, not a movement, but a walking incarnation of spiritual energy. The Church began in power, moved in power and moved just as long as she had power. When she no longer had power she dug in for safety and sought to conserve her gains. But her blessings were like the manna: when they tried to keep it overnight it bred worms and stank. So we have had monasticism, scholasticism, institutionalism; and they have all been indicative of the same thing: absence of spiritual power. In Church history every return to New Testament power has marked a new advance somewhere, and every diminution of power has seen the rise of some new mechanism for conservation and defense. If this analysis is reasonably correct, then we are today in a state of very low spiritual energy.
The only power God recognizes in His Church is the power of His Spirit; whereas the only power actually recognized today by the majority of evangelicals is the power of man. God does His work by the operation of the Spirit, while Christian leaders attempt to do theirs by the power of trained and devoted intellect. Bright personality has taken the place of the divine afflatus.
Only what is done through the Eternal Spirit will abide eternally.
The essence of true religion is spontaneity, the sovereign movings of the Holy Spirit upon and in the free spirit of redeemed men. When religion loses its sovereign character and becomes mere form this spontaneity is lost also, and in its place come precedent, propriety, system–and the file-card mentality. Back of the file-card mentality is the belief that spirituality can be organized.
For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was — a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability. But of late she appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great god Entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make what use she can of his power.
Christianity is so entangled with the world that millions never guess how radically they have missed the New Testament pattern. Compromise is everywhere. The world is whitewashed just enough to pass inspection by blind men posing as believers.
Evangelical Christianity is now tragically below the New Testament standard. Worldliness is an accepted part of our way of life. Our religious mood is social instead of spiritual. We have lost the art of worship. We are not producing saints. Our models are successful business men, celebrated athletes and theatrical personalities. We carry on our religious activities after the methods of the modern advertiser. Our homes have been turned into theaters. Our literature is shallow and our hymnody borders on sacrilege. And scarcely anyone appears to care.
Much that passes for New Testament Christianity is little more than objective truth sweetened with song and made palatable by religious entertainment. Christ calls men to carry a cross; we call them to have fun in His name. He calls them to forsake the world; we assure them that if they but accept Jesus the world is their oyster. He calls them to suffer; we call them to enjoy all the bourgeois comforts modern civilization affords. He calls them to self-abnegation and death; we call them to spread themselves like green bay trees or perchance even to become stars in a pitiful fifth-rate religious zodiac. He calls them to holiness; we call them to a cheap and tawdry happiness that would have been rejected with scorn by the least of the Stoic philosophers.
A new Decalogue has been adopted by the neo-Christians of our day, the first word of which reads “Thou shalt not disagree;” and a new set of Beatitudes too, which begins “Blessed are they that tolerate everything, for they shall not be made accountable for anything.” It is now the accepted thing to talk over religious differences in public with the understanding that no one will try to convert another or point out errors in his belief. Imagine Moses agreeing to take part in a panel discussion with Israel over the golden calf; or Elijah engaging in a gentlemanly dialogue with the prophets of Baal. Or try to picture our Lord Jesus Christ seeking a meeting of minds with the Pharisees to iron out differences.
The blessing of God is promised to the peacemaker, but the religious negotiator has better watch his step. Darkness and light can never be brought together by talk. Some things are not negotiable.
One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team. The first requisite is [Zoe] Life, always.
The modern vogue of bringing science to the support of Christianity proves not the truth of the Christian faith but the gnawing uncertainty in the hearts of those who must look to science to give respectability to their faith.
Science, the sweet talking goddess which but a short time ago smilingly disposed of the Bible as a trustworthy guide and took the world by the hand to lead it into a man-made millennium, has turned out to be a dragon capable of destroying that same world with a flick of her fiery tail.
The Bible tells of another world too fine for the instruments of scientific research to discover. By faith we engage that world and make it ours. It is accessible to us through the blood of the everlasting covenant.
-A.W. Tozer, Paths To Power
Our next Revive is this Thursday Oct 23, 2008 @ 7:00pm
Worship led by Amy Tosney
I will be teaching from Jeremiah 2.
Come join us!
Why so serious? I wanted to share a thought that just ran through my mind a couple of seconds ago while walking up the stairs. I don't know who all of my readers are but I know that there are several of you subscribed to the REVIVE blog. Half of which I don't even know personally. In any case, I felt I might want to share why I am always so serious on this blog.....if any of you have ever asked that question or let that thought cross your mind.
From the beginning of the REVIVE blog, I have felt God has called me to use it strictly for ministry purposes rather than for personal drama/silliness etc.(and believe me, I have drama!) I realize that some of what I share and post are very hard things to ponder and may seem harsh at times, but the LORD has not given me permission to change that tone. The LORD has reminded me time and time again that REVIVE is to sharpen and strengthen us, His Church. No fluff. No funny business. Not here. However, I am not opposed at all to the lighter side of things in the blogger world. Not at all! I totally recognize that God can be equally effective through that kind of blogging.
And, just for the record I am real. I do have feelings. I do bleed, get bruised, get knocked down, hurt deeply and struggle with every day life situations the same as everyone else. My marriage is not perfect, my parenting skills are shabby and my walk with the LORD has it's peaks and valleys. I do love to play and have fun and even be very silly on many occasions. And if you are looking for that kind of blogging from me I hope to allow that side of me to spill over on my other blog. In the meantime, the REVIVE blog will continue to be a tool that the LORD can use to help build up, challenge and strengthen the Bride. He is pursuing His people, hard, very hard....because His delight is not in a wayward Bride, but a completely devoted Bride in full adornment! Bear with me ladies and gents...God is working!
Thank you for allowing me to share with you the things the LORD is about in my life through the REVIVE blog.
Many blessings to you.
Brittnie
Yesterday I heard about a man in the state of Alabama who pays approximately $400 to attend each home game for his favorite college football team. After calculating up the gas to travel to the game, the price of a ticket for he and his wife, and the cost of food before, after, and during the game it totalled $400. This did not surprise me and as a math lover I was happy to see someone taking into account ALL of the costs and not just the ticket price.
I know I have mentioned the movie Fireproof a couple of times already on this blog, but I finally saw it this past weekend and it far exceeded my expectations. Facing the Giants was great, however the level of acting could have been much improved! I knew the level of acting had to be better with Kirk Cameron starring in this film, but I was REALLY impressed with this movie! It was hilarious, very moving and extremely powerful. The role of the husband loving his wife as Christ loves the church was beautifully displayed. It was an excellent movie!
I wanted to encourage you to all go and see it whether you are married or not. It is a MUST see! If you know of someone who is struggling in their marriage, do as my friend Shawn said yesterday....."buy them the tickets, the popcorn and drink" march them into the theater and stand guard at the door". This movie is truly an answer to prayer with the issue of marriages that are falling apart today. It is strengthening marriages and changing lives! Go see it!
Would love to hear your comments on the movie for those of you that have seen it!!
Click on link to read.
The Ultimate Meaning of True Womanhood
Our REVIVE ladies retreat is this weekend. We have been waiting for this weekend to get here for a very long time. We are really excited about what God is going to do. We look forward to His word and Presence and fellowship between other sisters in Christ. OH, and did I mention just some time away from the normal business of our lives! The camp that we will be going to is absolutely beautiful and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous! I can't wait to meet with the LORD. Would you be willing to pray for us this weekend?
Oh, and btw....there is still room to join us if you can come!
http://www.hunterstreet.org/info/ministries/Revive_Bible_Study.html
Brittnie
Hey everyone!
Have you seen the new blog gadget called "follower"?
It enables people that read your blog to allow their blog profile picture to be seen on your blog. I would love for those that read my blog to sign in as a reader. I have several people that have subscribed to my blog and I don't know who you are. Would love to be able to know who's reading! I have added this new gadget on my side bar. I've put it at the very top for it to be easily found.Just click "follow this blog" and you are all set!
Would love to hear from you!
Brittnie
As I continue my study this week for the REVIVE retreat on the way of the Kingdom, I ran across this prayer by Francis of Assisi. This is the way of a Kingdom heart. May we sit at the feet of Christ and learn from Him and allow Him to change us from the inside out and be a people who reflect His love.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
I did it again. Before it began, I nearly ruined a divine weekend set up for my husband Jeff and me. It was a very crazy time in our lives and I was desperate for restoration in the Lord though I didn’t realize it at the time. From the moment I heard the words, “I am surprising you on a weekend get away”, I began to panic. It was our 10 year anniversary and we were going on a trip. Already my mind was swarmed with many questions and concerns. Some of which were money, kids, weather, clothes etc. How would I prepare and pack for an unknown destination and what would I do with weekend commitments that were already planned out? Should I really go? Most importantly, can I hand over complete control to Jeff who was so lovingly planning this get away? I did not have a choice. It was a done deal and so off we went for a weekend away from our chaotic lives.
Upon the arrival to our destination, we discovered the keys for our stay were left for us and that we were the only guests at this location. We were tucked away nice and snug in a great little cabin on a beautiful camp ground nestled off in the Texas Hill Country. The excitement began the moment we stepped foot onto the camp ground. We arose the next morning to the most splendid weather and glorious site, God’s creation! Jeff and I were anxious to get started with our weekend and immediately we began exploring this beautifully fashioned piece of acreage. Explore we did, all day long!
Surrounded by God's glory, I thought it appropriate to ask Him for a thrill. Selfishly, I began requesting this thrill from God as if He owed it to me and this is what I began to seek. My eyes became focused on what I demanded instead of on what He wanted to show me. After a few hours of searching for something that I just knew would knock my socks off, I began to notice something else. My ears were hearing the constant and amazing sounds of water flowing through out the hills of the country land. That wonderful sound of the water trickling and flowing down the hills became more evident. Not only did my ears finally tune in, but my eyes were now beholding the beauty!
Jeff and I began following a stream down to its end and discovered the most wonderful site of all. This stream of water dumped right into a small but deep creek bed. It was a tiny piece of heaven right before our eyes with crystal clear waters. We both gazed at this water and found ourselves in awe. We could see clear down to the bottom and watched large bass and catfish as they swam freely around with no caution of our presence. Like little kids, we began running for our equipment back at the car. With fishing gear in hand, we scurried back to this place that we felt was made just for us. We began sinking line after line and bringing up these beauties! What a THRILL! What? NO, this was more than a thrill; this was rest for my weary soul. OH how I needed it. As I drank it in and let it refresh me I thanked Him!
Let me tell you, God was not done with me. Once I recognized what I needed most and that this weekend had been given and divinely arranged, He showed me that I still needed more. About that time, I stepped backward to grab my line and forgot that I had hopped onto a large rock in the middle of the creek and I lost my balance. Yep, you guessed it and all the way in up to my neck! God not only let me rest by His streams of water, He bathed me in them. I was renewed and refreshed. At this point, it was all I could do not to hear God prompting me to think of the words living water. (Since I was swimming in it none the less.) Living Water is what God gives to those who believe and are athirst. There is no doubt that was what He was showing me.
As our weekend came to a close and it was time to head home, I reflected on my selfishness of seeking "something" instead of someone. That someone was my heavenly Father and I was reminded in scripture this day that He is "the enough". What ever we are seeking or require, He is the only one who can fill. He is the source that we must stay focused on and His resources will so infinitely surpass our requirements. He is sufficient and He is enough. Beyond that, He is more than enough, He is everything! I am so thankful that I did not ruin this perfect weekend that God planned especially for us.
Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from within him. John 7:38
Brittnie 9.8.05
Most of our REVIVE team along with several other women from our church headed down to San Antonio, Tx and joined 10,000 other ladies for a Beth Moore (Living Proof Live) conference. WOW! It was an amazing weekend! We gathered in the Alamodome for worship and the Word! It was Incredible!
Beth's prayer for us was that God would do everything but kill us with His Glory. By His mercy He relented but oh, the Glory that He revealed was so magnificent! The presence of God was so heavy that I could barely stand on my feet. My body trembled nearly the entire time from the power of the Holy Spirit doing a work in me and in that place. Oh, how I praise Him for His love and Grace.
Here is a bit of a recap from the teaching we had from Beth.
It was based on Psalm Sixteen which says:
I LOVE my church! Our pastor started a new series called Devoted:Being a Genuine Church. This past Sunday was on worship. Here are some things he shared with us on how to be ready to worship each Sunday morning. (see below) There are some wonderful things happening in the life of our church and I am so pumped! I believe our church is about to have a head on collision with Yahweh! Bring it on!
Week 2: The Devoted Dozen
At the end of last week’s sermon Buddy shared some practical ways to make the most of worship each Sunday.
1. Devote yourself to worshiping God every day. Your worship on Sunday grows out of your personal worship each day. So, seek to do all to the glory of God as you engage in your spiritual worship by daily offering yourself as a living sacrifice.
2. Get a good night’s sleep on Saturday night. Make a conscious effort of going to bed early on Saturday night so you can be alert and attentive to the majesty and presence of God on Sunday morning. Remind yourself that you are not “going to church” but you are going to worship the Lord God with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You may even want to spend time with the Lord before you head to bed. This will certainly help put you in the right attitude to worship.
3. Plan to be at least five minutes early to the worship service. If you see that you are always late to the service, then set out your clothes on Saturday night and/or wake you and your family up 15 minutes earlier on Sunday. There really is no good reason to be late on a regular basis. It robs you of a blessing and God of his deserved worship.
4. Try to spend some time alone with the Lord before coming to church. It may be hard to do, but you will arrive eager to worship God.
5. When you enter, warmly greet those you see. (The early Christians greeted one another with a holy kiss! In our culture, a smile and a gentle hug will do!) There is a healthy balance between greeting friends and being quiet as the service begins. When seated, pray or read a psalm, or read the scriptures on the sermon notes from your own Bible.
6. Be conscious that God is present. God is indeed with us when we gather for worship. We are also joining in worship with all believers in heaven as well as the angels in the worship of God. (Hebrews 12:22-23)
7. Think as you worship. Concentrate on each phrase spoken, sung, or prayed.
8. Sing to the Lord. Sing with great joy. Sing with great volume and with great thought. Think about the words of the song and make them your own. Think about what they mean. Let your mind focus on the theology behind them. Remind yourself that you are singing to the creator of the universe, your Savior and Lord.
9. Listen carefully to the Word as it is read and preached. The Word is God’s living voice speaking to you. Give the sermon your full attention; pray to learn from it. Take notes. And, please pray for your pastor!
10. Respond. At the end of the service there is a time of commitment and reflection. Remember, this is not the time to think about where you are going to eat after church. This time is personal between you and God. Reflect back on what you just heard in the sermon and turn it into a prayer to God.
11. Stay until the service is completely over. Leaving early or running out of the door to beat the other cars out of the parking lot betrays a consumer mentality. Take the time to actually speak to five people on your way out. Be especially aware of visitors at this time and take some time to get to know them.
12. After the worship service, ask, “Was God pleased with my worship?”
13. Before the day is over, ask God to show you what things you need to learn, change, make right, repent of, or begin as a result of what you heard on this Lord’s day. If possible, discuss the sermon with family members or friends. Begin now to anticipate gathering again for worship with your church family.
Ladies,
It's that time again!
Revive starts back up this week, Thursday August 21st. We will meet again at Hunter Street in the High School worship room at 7:00pm. We are very excited about what God has in store for us through REVIVE! Hope to see you there.
For more information you may check here and here
God's love for orphans.....I don't know about you, but this has been on my heart day and night. I have been praying and asking God what He would have me do over this issue. Could not help but post the following article by Steven Curtis Chapman.....and following the article is some videos from his ministry called Shaohannah's Hope. Pray with me over this issue and see what God would have us do!
Our tragedy and God's love for orphans
By Steven Curtis Chapman
FRANKLIN, Tennessee (CNN) -- According to UNICEF, there are 143 million children in the world who have lost one or both parents.
In America alone, there are half a million children in foster care, and approximately 120,000 of these children are waiting to be adopted. In many countries, children are too often orphaned or abandoned because of poverty, disabilities and disease; every 15 seconds, a child loses a parent because of AIDS. These are staggering facts that can seem overwhelming and discouraging, but I believe that God has a loving plan for each child, and that plan is you and me.
Caring for these children is not the job of governments or institutions; instead, it is the job of families, people and communities. As Christians, our compassion is simply a response to the love that God has already shown us. Mother Teresa would constantly remind those who worked with her that the Bible clearly teaches that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Jesus. So in a very real sense, caring for orphans is a chance to meet the person of Jesus in "the guise of human suffering." This is an invitation from the heart of God to know him and to experience his love.
Nine years ago, my wife and my eldest daughter, Emily, traveled to Haiti on a mission trip. Having been exposed to extreme poverty for the first time, Emily returned home with a determined passion to make a difference in the lives of at-risk children.
Only 12 years old, Emily went on an all-out campaign to persuade us to adopt. She bought a book on international adoption with her Christmas money and would read it to us regularly. She began fervently praying and writing letters to Mary Beth and me, encouraging us to consider giving a waiting child a home. Emily knew God was leading us in the direction of adoption; however, Mary Beth and I were not yet convinced.
My wife and I had always supported the idea of adoption, and as Christians, we understood the importance of loving and caring for others. But what I had not yet grasped was that adoption is a physical picture of what Jesus has done for me. I did nothing to deserve God's love; in fact, I was living as an orphan, without hope. Yet God chose to pursue a relationship with me, and through the death of his son Jesus, I was adopted into God's family.
My wife and I began moving toward adoption with fear and trembling and asking all the questions people ask. I remember Mary Beth crying herself to sleep at night saying, "What are we doing? I can't do this." However, God kept reassuring us that this was the direction he was leading us. It was a huge journey of faith for us.
In May of 2000, we found ourselves in a hotel room in China's Hunan province, welcoming the newest member of our family, Shaohannah Hope. From that moment, we began our journey into the world of adoption, orphan care and Shaohannah's Hope.
We went on to adopt Stevey Joy and Maria. Recently, our youngest daughter, Maria, passed from life on this earth and is now safely in the arms of Jesus. We have been completely overwhelmed by the love and support of so many during this time of deep, deep sadness. Through all that we've experienced, one thing we still know is true: God's heart is for the orphan.
In our travels to Latin America, Africa and Asia, we have visited many different orphanages. If you look past the surroundings and into the eyes of the children, they all have the same look. They seem to convey, "I don't think this is what I was made for. Where do I belong?"
These children are crying out for the hope of a family, for the hope of community, for the hope of a permanent love. Our mission, and the mission of our adoption charity, Shaohannah's Hope, is to show hope to these children and to mobilize people, families and communities to be living examples of God's love for them.
We started Shaohannah's Hope in order to connect willing families with waiting children, but the reality is that there are many orphans who cannot be adopted. Even though we may not be able to bring them into our homes, we still have the opportunity to show them the hope we have.
If only 7 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world would care for a single orphan in distress, there would effectively be no more orphans. If everybody would be willing to simply do something to care for one of these precious treasures, I think we would be amazed by just how much we could change the world.We can each do something, whether it is donating, adopting, fostering, mentoring, visiting orphans or supporting families that have taken in orphans. You can change the world for an orphan.
Ladies,
We have more exciting news about REVIVE. Our Website went live today! It's not 100% complete but we are officially up and running....(thanks to 2 pretty special people)! Take a look.
Ladies, spread the word....REVIVE returns August 21st.
Use this promo video to share with others a glimpse of what REVIVE is about.
Also, see the Revive info link below to sign up for our REVIVE retreat coming in Sept! REVIVE Info and Retreat Sign up
"When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away." Matthew 13:21
Casual Christianity is an oxymoron. There is no such thing as a low-commitment version of our faith. It is impossible to say, "I'm a follower of Jesus, but I'm not prepared to lay down my life for the Gospel." Both of those assertions cannot be true. "When Jesus calls a man," to quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "He bids him come and die." Ours is a faith that demands our entire allegiance; it can be no half-hearted thing.
Church history is filled with martyrs. Missionary kids have seen their parents executed. Many Christians have lost a spouse or child to persecution. Whole communities have been tortured or imprisoned. And many have given their own lives. Whether this is a tragedy or the glory of the Church-and it is, in fact, both-is not the point. It is a given. It is assumed of Jesus' followers that they will follow Him where ever he goes. And He goes to places like the Cross.
Martyrdom is not something that confronts most of us. Few of us are persecuted. Yet all of us can say with assurance that sometimes following our Savior is difficult. He asks us to make sacrifices. He asks us to be obedient, even when obedience is painful. And though He doesn't ask all of us to die for Him, He does ask all of us to live for Him. When we were bought by His blood, we became His possession. Gloriously, joyfully His possession, but His nonetheless.
One of the great weaknesses of today's American church is our unwillingness to humble ourselves as our Savior did. We are often consumer Christians, shopping around for a faith that suits us well. But when we really encounter Christ, we face a choice: Stand firm in our faith, despite our many tests and troubles, or settle for a lukewarmness that can barely, if at all, be called "Christian." We must be prepared for the trials. They will come. And how we respond will tell us-and others-whether we are His disciples.
Chris Tiegreen
I wanted to make these resources available for anyone who has not seen the advertisements of this new movie called Fireproof. It's created by the same people (Sherwood Bapt) who made the movie "Facing the Giants". Fireproof is a movie about marriage....and it is definitely needed today as we watch the enemy go after our marriages and families. I hope that you'll be able to see this movie when it comes out. Our marriages are worth fighting for!
Here are some thoughts I jotted down back from April that I meant to blog and never got to it.
I went for a run yesterday. It was a beautiful afternoon and I was enjoying the sun on my face and the cool wind that helped to soften the blow of the growing April heat. Lately I’ve been running with a group of girls to help motivate me and push me in getting the exercise I need. But this time I was prompted to run all by myself. I was proud in that fact that I stepped out (in what I thought) was my own determination of some much needed cardio. But I quickly understood that cardio wasn’t the only thing needed. I needed some time to free my thoughts…..to worship God with my mind.
In our running group the one thing that is always running (beside my legs) is my mouth. This time I was able to also run my mind. Rarely is my mind on anything but the LORD Jesus and so it was this day as well. However, this time the LORD led me to pack a little punch into this thinking. After some appropriate praise to the only One worthy of my thoughts, my mind was flooded with the WORD of God. Oh how God’s word satisfies my soul. But even more it pushes me to be who God has called me to be. There is no way I can read it/meditate on it and be left unchanged.
The Lord immediately shifted my focus to the word “holiness”. It’s no wonder. I jut got through teaching on this topic the week before in my monthly women’s bible study. Don’t think for a moment that I teach on things that God does not want to do a number on me in the process. So, here I am at holiness. As a disciple of Jesus I am called to be holy. To be set apart for Him. So because this is what is required of me, this is what I desire. Heavy thinking went on in my brain as I further meditated on its meaning in my life.
“Oh God”, I cried out, “I desire to be holy as you are holy. And as this prayer filled my mind, even the song on my iPod sang to the heart of the thought process. “Holiness is what I long for. Holiness is what I need; holiness is what you want from me. Take my heart and form it, take my mind transform it, take my will conform it, to Yours” This desire was so intense it had me bent over at the waist (still running of course) all the while lifting my hands to the God who was calling me to ponder and act upon such an awesome calling.
Again, “Oh God, make me more like You”. I want to go where you tell me to go, say what you want me to say, be who you want me to be and do what you want me to do. I want to follow You at all costs. I am so sick of allowing my life to be entertained by vain things. Empty things. I want you and only you. Satisfy me with your unfailing love. As my run came to an end, I was thrilled that I was prompted to go. I was given a special opportunity to worship God with my mind. I was pushed in my discipleship to the LORD by the LORD Himself! I resolved once again, I will live for God and God alone. I will be holy, I will be set apart. I am not trying to proclaim that I am the example for anyone. I am just saying, “here I am LORD, send me, use me. Anyone care to join me?
Yes, I realize this is a strange title, but tonight while cooking supper, I opened up a can of refried beans to go with our Mexican meal and the minute I opened the can, the smell captured me and transported me back about 28 years or so to elementary school. It reminded me of all the days that I would sit in the cafeteria at lunch or just after a gymnastic meet and crack open my bag of Frito's and my little individual size can of Frito-Lay Bean dip. Anyone remember those? 
I don't know if they still sell them at the stores, but that used to be one of my favorite snacks of all! Oh, it was so good and the memory of it took me back to the sweet days of childhood. The care free days of play and innocence (or in my case, probably not so innocent) But either way, sweet, sweet memories!
So, why on earth am I telling you about Bean Dip? Well, because it is such a great reminder of life that we live as believers. (Bear with me here) There are many people who are going through a tough time in life right now. Your relationship with the LORD may feel distant or dry. When we encounter those times, we can sometimes doubt or wonder if God really loves us or if He even cares. We may struggle and start to give up or throw in the towel. But, we have a precious gift from God. Our memory.
Our memory can serve us in many different ways. Sometimes it can cause pain and hurt as we reflect on a very difficult time. Or, it can remind us of times when we made serious mistakes and the consequences were high. We may never make that mistake again because of our memory. But, our memory serves us best when we go back to a sweet time and remember how things once were. This is so important.
While we go through dark or dry times in our walk with the LORD, we must remember the sweet times with Him in the past in order to persevere. It is our nature to forget get and begin to doubt. That's why I think it is so important to keep a journal or some sort of a record of your times with the LORD. Make notes when He speaks to you through His Word or when His presence was so heavy that you could barely breathe. We must remember the good times with the LORD in order to make it through some of the harder times.
God is good all the time and He never does us any wrong even when we may be going through the roughest time. It is always for His glory and our good that we journey on such a path, but why is it that we can so easily forget God’s goodness and His love for us and quickly find ourselves discouraged. So, today…if you find yourself in a dry place with God, go straight to your source of memories with Him and bask in the gift of remembering how good Jesus is and with a fresh wind of faith, press on.
I want to put that central because if we don't ask the question day by day–What am I going to make much of today?–then we will gravitate towards making much of the same things that everybody around us is making much of, like sports teams, food, or a new computer program. None of these things are sin unless they become the thing that we're driven by.
The difference between a Kingdom mindset and a worldly mindset is the King. What place does the King have? Is he central in our affections, our vocabulary, and in what we want to see happen at work, church, and in our leisure?
Does the "wartime lifestyle" come easily to you?
No, and I don't think it comes easy for anybody. If it starts coming easily then it may result in pride. That may not always be the case, because the things we work hard at are sometimes the things we boast in the most. Pride is a very insidious and subtle thing.
When I say "wartime lifestyle" I mean something very complex. That's why I say "wartime" and not "simple" lifestyle because of this complexity. In wartime you may need to build a B-52 bomber, which costs millions and millions of dollars, in order to win the war. In a simple lifestyle, however, you wouldn't fiddle around with bombers. Instead you would just move out to Idaho, plant potatoes, and be irrelevant.
In a wartime lifestyle you always ask yourself, How can my life count to advance the cause of Christ? And if it means buying a computer to keep in touch with your missionaries through email, then you're going to invest several thousand dollars into a computer and software. That's a wartime lifestyle. But you might not eat out as often, or you might buy a used car so that you can buy that computer. That's what I mean by wartime lifestyle. The alternative is to just go with the flow. Everybody gets his toys: bigger house and car, more clothing, more fine food, etc., without even thinking about how the war effort is advancing.
Personally, I must battle everyday against drifting. It isn't about making choices so much. The battle is primarily against becoming comfortable with things that aren't essential to the war effort. So you have to check yourself. Sit down with your wife and ask, How are we doing with our spending? How are we doing with the use of our discretionary money for leisure?, etc.
I admit that this is difficult. I don't have any laws to lay down about what specific things you should be doing either once a week or never or whatever. It's just tough, which is why it is tough for me.
How does what you're saying accord with the prosperity gospel–the belief that external signs of wealth are a key testimony to the world of God's blessing?
It doesn't accord. We must reject the prosperity gospel. It's just dead wrong. The world is not impressed by the prosperity of Christians. What the prosperity of Christians says to the world is nothing redemptive.
I'm not saying that all prosperity is necessarily wrong. I'm just making the point that the prosperity of a Christian says absolutely zero about Christ to the world. Christians who simply follow the American trend of "moving up" financially and materially causes the world to simply say, "They're just like us! They love the same things we love and do the same things we do." This has zero witness to the world.
The person who follows the prosperity track must find other ways to testify to the world about Jesus, because their wealth, health, and prosperity are not saying anything redemptive.
My way of remedying this lack of witness is to identify that the prosperity gospel is wrong. Don't go that direction! Don't believe that prosperity is our evidence to the world that we belong to the King. It doesn't work that way. In fact, if you look in the New Testament you'll see that the things that bear the clearest witness to our faith are the occasions when we're willing to suffer for him.
A little child can understand that. Something is valuable to you to the degree that you're willing to suffer in order to have it, not to the degree that it gives you other things that you really like. God is not shown to be valuable because he gives us other things that we like more than God. God is shown to be valuable when we're willing, for God's sake, to let certain things go which we wouldn't let go if he wasn't so precious to us.
Our testimony to the world works precisely opposite to what the prosperity gospel says. When Christians are willing to suffer for the cause of the unborn, for racial justice, and for spreading the gospel, then the world is going to say–just like it does in 1 Peter 3:15–"Where is your hope?"
Our answer will not be, "In houses, cars, and lands." Rather, we will say, "My hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is going to take me to himself. To live is Christ and to die is gain. I'm here on earth to spread the gospel. I'm going to keep my life as wartime as I can in order to maximize my effect for showing Jesus as valuable, not things as valuable."
Ladies, we had an excellent time worshiping with you this Spring. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for the Fall. Join us again in August (21st) as we kick off REVIVE again!
True Revivals have happened only when people have gained a right idea of God and his majesty and his holiness. Revivals have happened when people grew in there understanding of Christ work on the Cross. In their understanding of the call to trust Christ alone. These are the times when God visits his church with revival by pouring out his spirit on the land.
Question for thought:
If revivals depend on a renewed understanding of God’s majesty and a deepened conviction of own sin, what is the best way to promote revival in the land?
Quote by Mark Dever from his book "The Message of the Old Testament"
When We Know God.....
Matthew 10:36-38
I spend most of my days studying the WORD preparing for Sunday School and REVIVE. And it is the hardest thing not to break out into worship all throughout the day as I learn more about the GREATNESS of God. Seriously, I find myself on the floor in humbled reverence or jumping around singing to the ONE who is so worthy of all my praise! Good heavens, I can't get enough of HIM!
Anyway, here are some words that I have been worshiping with today as I study.
Words of worship rise like a river within me. Thoughts to express are so many. I want to bless you God. Can’t be silent. I think of the mercies you show me. My lips begin overflowing. Great is your love. Such gratitude for all that you do Jesus to you.
At the top of my lungs I will sing hallelujah, you’re the one who saved me, the one who gave me this life I live forevermore, forevermore. At the top of my lungs I will sing hallelujah. I’m not ashamed; I’ll praise your name. Let the whole world know that I love you LORD.
You are worthy, I join the song of creation, it rings out across every nation. Let my heart be heard. I need you so, I don’t care who knows from the depth of my soul.
At the top of my lungs I will sing hallelujah, you’re the one who saved me, the one who gave me this life I live forevermore, forevermore. At the top of my lungs I will sing hallelujah I’m not ashamed; I’ll praise your name. Let the whole world know that I love you LORD.
Let my love be like a sweet joyful noise. Only for you…I lift up my voice.
At the top of my lungs I will sing hallelujah, you’re the one who saved me, the one who gave me this life I live forevermore, forevermore. At the top of my lungs I will sing hallelujah I’m not ashamed; I’ll praise your name. Let the whole world know that I love you LORD.
Words by Phillips, Craig and Dean
