Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Idols of Wealth

"How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" Mark 10:24

Jesus has harsh things to say about wealth. "Woe to you who are rich," He says in Luke 6:24. "A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions," He says in Luke 12:15. He tells parables that cast a bad light on the wealthy (the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, for example). And here in Mark 10, He tells His disciples that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (vs. 25).

Many of us who read these verses are incredibly wealthy, by worldwide standards, and so we spiritualize them. Jesus is really talking about those who place their hope in riches, we determine. And because we know that salvation is a matter of the heart and not of the bank account, we are right to do so. But we miss an important lesson if we dismiss these warnings too quickly.

The lesson is this: There is false worship in every human heart, and Jesus knows that all of it has some component of wealth. We either seek wealth and materialism as an idol in itself, or we have other idols that we cannot support without more money (approval of others, achievement, education, lifestyles, hobbies, food, fashion etc.). Almost any idol we can conceive of revolves around money as its object or for its sustenance. And when we harbor such idols, the kingdom of God is like the eye of a needle to us. We just can't fit.

What idols grip your heart? Whatever they are, cut off their supply. They are fed by wealth, and they consume the kingdom's resources, giving nothing of substance in return. If we are to live as kingdom citizens, we must turn our hearts toward kingdom purposes. Our wealth, our time, our abilities-all resources God has given us-must be invested in lasting goals. Our treasure will be where our heart is. And our hearts are in the Kingdom.
by Chris Tiegreen.

I couldn't help but post this devotional today. I don't think that we can hear this message too much in our culture. It is very evident that the church is living for the same things the world lives for. If we are going to enter the Kingdom of God and advance it....we are going to have to let the things of the world go. We are to treasure Christ above all the accumulation of stuff and lay up treasure in heaven not on earth.

As John Piper says....The world will not glorify Christ because they see that Christians are wealthy, healthy and prosperous because that is what they live for. They are not impressed with us- prosperous, safe, middle class, do what every body else does kind of church. Our great reward is in heaven with Christ! We are to be so profoundly heavenly minded that we are free from this world. Free from stuff. Stuff....Stuff! Stuff is killing us. Houses, cars, books, computers, electronic gadgets are killing us.

What is it going to take to see that Christ is our treasure and not our stuff? Until we get this and let it go....we will have little or no impact in the Kingdom. That should break our hearts!


Wednesday, May 21, 2008

REVIVE Spring Events

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!


Until then, enjoy these pictures from our Spring events.....


Monday, May 12, 2008

Revival

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"

Saturday, May 10, 2008

When We Know God....

When We Know God.....

  • Routine religion is no longer tolerable.
How can we have routine religion when we have a God that calls the stars by name?
Isaiah 40:26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
  • Casual worship is no longer possible.
When we truly know God, there is no way we can remain unmoved when we worship Him. Sitting rigid in pews with casual reverence is (in my opinion) offensive to God
  • Total Surrender is no longer optional.
When we read passages like.......
Luke 9:60-62
And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Or

Matthew 10:36-38 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

.........there is no way we can sit on the fence. Total surrender is the only option for one who claims to follow Christ.

  • Global missions is no longer negotiable.
This is something that God began to open my eyes to a few years ago through scripture. When we begin to "know" God through His word He begins to share his heart with you. AND His heart is for the lost. We should squirm knowing that millions are perishing while we enjoy comfortable America. When we hear God's heart, western Contemporary Christianity must go because global missions is no longer negotiable. God says....go and make disciples of ALL nations!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Top of My Lungs

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

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

How We Know God

I Corinthians 2:10-16
But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
16"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"But we have the mind of Christ.

Isaiah 64:4
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

  • Only the Spirit of God knows the fullness of the glory of God.
  • If we want to know God, then we need the Spirit to reveal Him to us.
  • Therefore, a people who are desperate to know God will be desperate for His Spirit.
~If we are not desperate for His Spirit, it is a sure indicator that we have grown content with knowing little about God.
  • Do we want to know the glory of God?
~Then let us be a people desperate for the Spirit of God
~And when we're desperate for the Spirit, our hearts will begin to understand God with the very perspective of Christ.

"We have but to want Him badly enough, and he will come and manifest Himself to us."
~A.W. Tozer

I don't know about you, but I want Him so badly that I can't stand it. I am desperate for the Spirit of God. Let's not be content with knowing little about God. Let's be a people desperate to know God.



Monday, May 5, 2008

Why Are We Here?

Saturday night, I attended an incredible teaching by Dr. David Platt called "Who is God?" This was 6 intense hours of studying God's word together from 6pm-midnight. It was WOW! The first thing they said to us when we got there was this:"Do not come to Secret Church if all you want to do is learn for yourself--the objective is for you to pass along what you learn to others, so that you can be a disciple-maker for Christ, both locally and globally."

So, with that said, I will most likely be blogging on much of what was taught that night so I can share all that I have learned about God.

Here is what I thought that I would share first.


"This is what the Lord says:"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this:that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, "declares the Lord. " Jeremiah 9:23-24


"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."


"Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, 'What comes into your mind when you think about God?' we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man. Were we able to know exactly what our most influential religious leaders think of God today, we might be able with some precision to foretell where the Church will stand tomorrow."


It is not a cheerful though that millions of us who live in a land of Bibles, who belong to churches and labor to promote the Christian religion, may yet pass our whole life on this earth without once having thought or tried to think seriously about the being God. Few of us have let our hearts gaze in wonder at the I AM, the self-existent self back of which no creature can think. Such thoughts are too painful for us. We prefer to think where it will do more good-about how to build a better mousetrap, for instance, or how to make two blades of grass grow where one grew before. For this we are now paying a too heavy price in the secularization of our religion and the decay of our inner lives."


"The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until is it once more worthy of Him-and of her."

-A.W. Tozer

The first teaching that we had was Why are we here?

  • To know God's Glory
  • To learn God's Word
  • To advance God's Kingdom

  • The Reality.....
~God is incomprehensible
~We can never fully understand any single thing about God.
~We can know something about God's love, power, wisdom and other attributes.
~But we can never know His live, power wisdom or other attributes exhaustively.

  • The Reason....
~We can't know God fully because of both our sinfulness and His greatness.
~Because of our sin, we are hindered from glimpsing the fullness of God.
~ But even when all sin will be removed from us, we will still be finite and God will still be infinite
~For all of eternity we will increase in our knowledge of Him.
*If in pride we want to be equal to God in knowledge, this will depress us.
*If in humility we want to live to adore and worship God, this will delight us.

  • The Resolution....
~Though we cannot understand God fully, we can understand God truly.
~So based on scripture, even though we don't have exhaustive knowledge of God, we have true knowledge of God.
~Though God is incomprehensible, he is knowable.


These thoughts in themselves are mind blowing. God is more than our finite minds can comprehend, but He is knowable. Knowable! Does this not make your head spin? This is the most thrilling thing EVER! How awesome that we can spend all eternity getting to know more of this God.