Vineyard Southeast - Not Be Moved

I need this song. I need the truth that it conveys to the heart. I need to get this all down in me. Jesus is the immovable rock. Society can try and chisel Him out of place.....Cultural can gather its collective strength to move Him. But He is the Rock of all rocks. His love is without fail. His truth stands unchallenged. He is the only true source of life. You won't find it in a bottle or a pill......You will not find it 

in the collective intellectual minds of this age or any other age.

Jesus IS the rock. Not Jesus WAS the rock, or Jesus WILL be the rock. He is current, right now, on time rock of stability that comes when we receive His gift of Salvation. When we confess, turn from our wicked ways...wicked thoughts...wicked intentions (all of which come from our wicked hearts). We cry out to the this Rock we call Jesus, and He comes to lift us out of our misery and self destruction.

You can believe this...

Or you can reject it...
You can find Jesus today...

Or you can continue down that dark path you've chosen.

As for me....

I need a solid, stable place from which I can face each day. Face each day with the assurance that God has me and will instruct me on how to deal with each situation and circumstance that my come my way.

He is the ROCK that will not be moved.

God on you this morning

Michael b.

EVERYONE NEEDS A "GEORGE" IN THEIR LIFE

 

This was from the Greene Street Letters - March 2016

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

A gentle soul if ever there was one.....
Yet in that gentleness was a fierce love for God and for the word that was evident every time he stood to teach.
George Creel....

I found some audio cassettes of George the other day.
Listening to his voice, I was filled with gratefulness for what this man did for me and my wife. You see, Vicki and I were trying to come out of a seven year journey where we had drifted away from God. O.k.....let's be honest. We ran away! Thought we'd be all grown up and live the good life. Turned out the so called good life was that good after all.

We both knew that we needed to be in church. We had two sons and Vicki's grandfather had lovingly chastised us for not giving our sons the opportunity to be brought up according to God's ways. So we began trying to decide where to go. Vicki's mother had been after us to visit her church and here this pastor who was an incredible teacher. We gave in and made plans to visit Central Methodist United Church.

Sunday came and we made our way into the building. Finding a place to sit, we settled to see what all the fuss was about. It didn't take long...
I remember George telling us to "Open your Bibles"....giving us an address where we could read along with him. But never had the words "Open your Bibles" ever had more meaning that it did on that Sunday morning. Literally the Bible was opened in my heart for the very first time ever. The message was a prophetic message tying Scripture to an event that was taking place in the world. The service lasted an hour, but it seemed like five minutes. I remember us both walking to the car, looking at each other asking, "What was that?" We were dumbfounded. I wanted more, so we went back. And we went back some more. We took notepads with us, along with our Bibles, and we took notes as fast as we could. 

Each week, the Scripture was unrolled and laid bare for us to see and digest.
George Creel taught us about the person and function of the Holy Spirit. In my up bringing, the Holy Spirit somehow was relegated to the back burner of the Trinity. Any talk about the Holy Spirit was seen as removing Jesus from His rightful place, and we weren't going to stand for that.

George taught us about spiritual warfare and deliverance. Never heard that one in Sunday School. His teaching was simply a matter of fact...no need to hype or fill the words with great swells of emotion. Yet there were times when George would say very hard things that we needed to hear as a church. He never sugar coated his message...you knew you were getting your toes stepped on, only because God was in the message. Usually if George brought up a sin or attitude that was prevalent in our midst...he would stop in the message and say, "Do you still love me?"

George loved prophecy. He did a multi-week series on "God's plan for the Ages"...taking us from Genesis to Revelation. I'd never heard anything like this at all. Vicki and I found ourselves with a hunger for God's word, and His presence. Spiritually, Vicki and I grew more during our fourteen years at Central than at any other time in our lives. 

I have been blessed to have had spiritual giants in my life. Men who showed me what it meant to be godly. Men who loved the Word of God and sowed it into my life. Men like........Lewis Wood....Don Gentry....George Creel....And John Wimber. If you don't have anyone like that in your life, pray and ask God to show you where they are. We all need that voice of wisdom that has been further out with God than we have, who can show us the way.

Thank you George...
For all you did....
For all you taught...
For how you lived.....
See you soon.

God on you...
mbb

POSTED BY VINEYARD U.K.

 

Join us for a day of prayer and fasting on Friday 25th February 2022.

PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for a different story // Our politicians are predicting the biggest war in Europe since 1945, so let’s cry out God that he would write another story in our time; that he would tear down evil schemes and give wisdom from heaven to peacemakers seeking a less violent way. 

• Pray against fear // Pray that God would rescue those who are vulnerable from the hands of their enemies.

• Ukrainian Christians // Pray for the church in Ukraine, a nation in which 70% of the population call themselves Christian. Pray that God would give them courage in this crisis, that they may proclaim the good news of the Kingdom, bind up broken hearts, and bring comfort to all who mourn.

• Salvations // Pray that God would save the lives of many people in Ukraine, bringing redemption by drawing many people to himself.

• Healing // Ask God to deliver Ukraine from evil. May he have mercy and heal this land. May he give Ukraine peace and the chance to develop as a nation that values truth, justice and freedom, all rooted in the goodness of God.

• Vineyard Family // Finally, pray for the Vineyard church plants and those who are part of our global Vineyard family who live in Ukraine.

From M.B. /  Let us not sit idly by and watch the events that are unfolding, but let us go before our Father in heaven with our petitions and prayers on behalf of our brother's and sister's in Christ. Praying also for the citizens of this country.

LIVING ON THE EDGE

 When you hear the phrase ","living on the edge you tend to think of high risk.You picture the extreme athletes on snow boards or riding mountain bikes down treacherous terrain.

I tend to get a different picture.I was reading in Exodus 20 this morning about how God was leading the Israelite's on their exodus or journey out of Egypt. Chapter 20 opens with the words, "In early spring, the people of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. Where they were there Miriam died and was buried." This must have been a difficult time for Moses as Miriam was his sister. She was the one who followed the basket Moses was in when his mother put him in the Nile River. Now, she was dead.

On top of all of this it goes on to say, "There was no water for the people to drink in that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron." Moses didn't bargain for this. A group of unruly, complaining, whining people who could be satisfied no matter what. What more, God has lead them to a place where there isn't any water. God lead them there. God keeps them living on the edge. Keeps them looking to Him for their survival. He brings them to places where there isn't any water, but then gives them water. DO you see this? 

God keeps us on the edge....we can either look to him, or we can rebel and try to live on our own. Time and time again, God leads the people to places where the enemy is coming after them to find out "what are you going to do. Fight in your own strength or wait for Me and let Me fight the battle for you." Time and time again, Israel had to learn the hard way. I don't want to learn the hard way. I want to live on the edge and rely on God to lead me in which ever way He thinks is best. Yes, it is scary at the edge. Yes, you want to cut and run at the edge. Yes, every one around you will think you've lost your mind because you are waiting on God. But living on the edge is where you will see God in ways you couldn't see him any where else.

Look for Him today.....
God on you.........
mb

PAWDY MOORE AND THE WORD OF GOD

 Growing up in the country our sole source of life's necessities came from a small general store located at the center of our community.

Small, Cinder block building, the store was run by one Mr. Howard Moore otherwise known as "Pawdy".
He carried everything in that store from shoe strings to Rabbit food.  Pellets in big checker board colored bags from the Ralston-Purina Company. There was Hog feed and dog feed and chicken feed and I'm sure if someone asked, Mr. Moore, he  could probably come up with elephant feed. He was the purveyor of the needs of our small community.

As you entered the store through a Merita Bread Screen door, there, situated in the center of the room was a huge potbellied stove. This became the gathering point during the cold days of winter. Old men (at least they were old to me since I was 9) would sit and whittle, sharing stories and  matching pennies in an effort to pass the time. We kids were always getting in the way if you asked any of the old timers. Our favorite past time was to have spittin' contests on the stove top. Two kids (usually of the male persuasion) would gather on either side of the stove and when you both had accumulated enough spit, you'd launch it on to the stove top. The two globules of saliva would hit the stove with an incredible sizzling sound and commence to run around the top like two scalded rabbits. Did I mention that most of us in the community were poor so this particular activity was known as "high" entertainment. Usually after a few minutes of spit flinging on the stove, Pawdy would commence to run us kids off saying, "Either buy something or leave," knowing full well we didn't have any money.

Mr. Moore gave most everyone in the community a running tab or credit with which to purchase groceries with. You could get whatever you needed as long as by Friday at closing you'd paid up your bill. I sure there were times when he  would extend credit, but this was not something we kids were privy to. Mr. Moore was a good man....a gentle man who tried to be gruff but never quiet managed to pull it off. His store was the lifeline for the community and every one was very appreciative of him. 

You may be asking yourself, "Why is he writing about general store and spit contest?" Well, just like Pawdy and his general store that provided what we needed, So does the Bible.
You want to hear the voice of God?
Then open your Bible and your heart and listen as the words become more than organized thoughts in a line. Let them come to life as you take them into your spirit.
Listen for God's voice asking you, "What is you need today, my child?"
God's general store has every thing needed to walk through this dark, old world.
Psalm 119: Selected verses-
Verse 1 & 2 - Blessed are people of integrity, who follow the law of the LORD.
Blessed are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts.

Verse 57 - 59 -  LORD, you are mine! I promise to obey your words! With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful to me just as your promised. I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes.

Whatever it is I need, I find in the Word of God. The daily situations and circumstances that come to me where I feel as though God was behind them, I turn to the word to hear the confirming voice that declares to my spirit, "It was me!" There is great peace and comfort knowing that the more I study God's word, the clearer his voice becomes.

It really isn't in vogue to study and digest the word of God these days.
Those who do are accused of being dead and not open to the move of the Holy Spirit. I disagree. I do understand how it could be seen in this light. The main focus today is on experiencing God. Boy...I do not have a problem with that. I love it more than anyone when the presence of God manifests in meeting and things begin to happen. People are saved and people are healed. I love it when a corporate worship service just goes off the scale as people get free. But for me, nothing compares with that wonderful moment when the Holy Spirit inside me, suddenly makes a verse connect. I might have been looking for an answer from God and there suddenly on the page I see it. The words come to life and then become life inside of me as I realize that God himself has directed me and given  me an answer to a problem. How cool is that?

I am a huge advocate of Bible study.
Use your Bible.
Wear your Bible out.
Mark in it....highlight thoughts and verses.
Read it...
Get the word all down inside your spirit.
You will never regret it....
Like Pawdy Moore's Store, The Word of God has everything you need for living in this old world.

God on you....
mb

WHO ARE WE?

 

Really good weekend....Really hard weekend. So this morning as I was diving into my first cup of coffee, this thought came to me. "Are we a church? Or are we a recovery meeting?" Seems as thought when you label one or the other, people automatically assume what you are all about, or how you conduct your services. They (probably without meaning to) label you and pigeon hole what you are all about. So which is it? Is the ReCovery Church a real church? Or is it a recovery meeting?

Back in 1998 when I drove out to Rapha (drug and alcohol treatment center) I had not idea that I would be tied to that place for as long as I was. I went at the request of a friend to help him lead worship. After that first time of being there, I knew that this was where God wanted me. This was the place where I received my "education" so to speak on how to minister and serve those who were in addiction.

Fifteen years later, God leads me back to Gadsden Vineyard to start back up a Saturday night meeting. We had started one back in '99 (which we called HOUSE OF BLUE) and eventually God gave us the go ahead to close it down. So after a number of years at Rapha, we started a Sunday morning service there on the compound, later moving it to Saturday night. We saw God do some pretty incredible things during this particular time, and there was a part of me that thought this would go on for a number o years. 

So we have been holding Saturday night meeting @ Gadsden Vineyard since 2013. (Coming up on our 9th year this coming April). I've seen my role change during this time, but the call hasn't changed one bit. Christ is the Power we've been searching for to move us out of and away from our addiction. But what about others who are struggling with problems that aren't addiction related. Well, there is a name for the whole mess that everyone struggle with. It covers every aspect of human life. Are you ready for this?  SIN. Simple as that. When we are trying to live a life where we are in control, where we call the shots, where we want to independent., we are following the leading's and desire's of our own nature. 

We are all born with this nature (sin nature). A bent to do the wrong thing...a bent to want to be in control of our own life. A bent that refuses to acknowledge God and our need for Him. This goes all the way back to two people in a garden that we read about in Genesis chapter 3. A simple act of disobedience opened a flood gate that has consumed mankind for thousands of years.

Romans 7: -

(V.15) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, i do.

(V.17) As it is, it is not longer I myself who does it, but it is sin living in me.

V.18)  For I know the good itself does not dwell in me, that is in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

(V.24-25) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue (deliver) me from this body that is subject to death> Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We have somehow equated the word sin to the deeds and actions in our life. When in fact, sin is the state of the heart that holds sway over our actions and choices. If that be case, then everyone who draws breath is in need of God's salvation and freedom from this dark power than has humanity it its grip. Whether the person is sitting in a dark room taking hits from a pipe......shooting heroin....or drinking themselves into a stupor, they are in need of the Power of Christ who can transform them. On the other hand, an individual may be an outstanding member of the community, even go to church, never been to jail and doesn't have a police record of any kind.....yet they've never been saved, then they stand in the same place as one who is addicted. I've often said that the cross of Jesus is a place where we all stand in need of a Savior.

So which are we (ReCovery Church)? I guess we're simply a place where God's word can be taught and hopefully see ourselves as God sees us. Seeing our real need for Him, and us not trying to navigate life on our on. if you'd like to watch some of our services, you can do so by going to our Facebook page...ReCovery Church on Broad Street.

Thanks for checking in today....God on you!

Michael b.

Keith Green

I never met Keith Green, but yet I felt that I knew him on some other level than a physical relationship. His words and songs did more than bring me joy in my relationship with Christ, they uncovered my heart and and held it up against Christ. I realized how woefully short I had fallen from Him. Never was the truth more evident when Keith ministered and sang. "All have fallen short"....

Now this wasn't a place, this awareness of our falling short, that we were intended to live in. We were to realize that without Christ, we could do nothing. Without Christ in our hearts, we were destined to an eternity outside of His will and presence. Not His choice! Mine....If I refused His offer of salvation.

Vicki and I did get to see Keith when he came to Birmingham back in 1982. Over two hours of Keith sitting at his piano teaching and singing. No hoopla....no smoke and laser lights....just a man who spoke some truth in a simple way.

I am grateful for Keith's life this morning. I remember that on the last album Keith released, the final song on side #2 was the hymn "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY." How appropriate that this was the final song, and that Keith had gone to be with his Savior. Now Keith sings this song in the presence of the One who brought Salvation to all who would believe. 

Even after more than 40 years, the life of Keith Greene still resonates in my heart. Not to exalt the man, the songs he wrote, or the lessons he taught.......
But to be grateful to someone who sold out to Jesus.

How could I do any less?

God on you...

michael b.

FALSE BELIEFS

 

be·lief

biˈlēf/

noun

1. 1.

   an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.

   "his belief in the value of hard work"
2. 2.

   trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.

   "a belief in democratic politics"

One of the cornerstone of recovery for us is what we refer to as the "Four False Belief's".  A world view or belief system that has been adopted by an individual and governs the way they interact  with society, and make decisions.

I would like to take a look at the first two of the Four False Belief's. Keep in mind that these false beliefs occur in everyone's life to some degree or another. They are not relegated simply to those who struggle in addiction. These false belief's affect the way we view God, and interact with Him.

False Belief # 1

I must meet certain standards in order to feel good about myself.

Sounds innocent enough doesn't it?
Well, what happens when all you've ever done is fail?
What happens to your thinking if you never measure up to standards that you or others have set for you? Now, throw in some drugs and alcohol on a daily basis and the failures grow and multiply. This false belief will cause you to not even try anymore. After all, why should you? You fail at everything. This is one of the obstacles we create in our own hearts and minds when we succumb to the spiritual, mental and physical darkness of addiction.

False Belief #2

I need the approval of others to feel good about myself.

In this case, our own self worth is so low that we seek to manipulate those around us to tell us how wonderful we are. We thrive on their opinion. We bask in their adulation. And when we don't receive it, we wither and die inside. We have created an equation to define who we are.

Person = Performance

We have bought into a lie that who we are, as person, is defined by what we have done (Our behavior / or our performance). Looking at our track record, we haven't done too well, have we? Yet, most of us were raised to gauge ourselves this way. When we were small, and we did something really nice for our Mother's......Mom would tell us, "Oh my you are a good boy!" But turn that around. Maybe we broke her favorite vase or some of her good china. What did we hear? "You're a bad boy."  So we slowly build a belief system that told us our worth comes from what we have done. Not simply from who we are.

I see a number of people who continue to live like this.
Who even try to serve God this way......

"If I do good...the Jesus will love me!"

or....

"How can Jesus love me, I am a total mess up."

To counter this false belief, we have to address the issue or our person. Salvation puts me in the place where God sees me as perfect.

Hebrews 10:14 - For by one offering, He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Did you catch that?
"He has perfected."
Not "He will perfect" nor  "He is in the process of perfecting."

But has perfected.
So when God see me, He sees my person/spirit as being perfect because of the blood of Jesus.

Is my behavior/ performance perfect?
Nope!

But we're working on it by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts to bring about HIS changes.

God on you..

mb

He's The One by Dion Dimucci

What an incredible statement! Who would make such a statement? Who would stand to tell others that God and God alone was the source of life....real life...abundant life? What's more, God defines what is "abundant". He alone holds everything we see, touch, taste, hear in place. By the power of His spoken word He brought everything into existence.

His word is what holds everything in place and keeps it from spinning off into space. The book of Hebrews tells us that "By the power of His word the worlds were framed." Look into the night sky and you'll see evidence of His ability. Go stand on the seashore and listen to the waves as they crash and recede endlessly. Feel the salt spray on your face and let it speak to you of this God I know. The scope of who He is an what He is capable of doing is beyond my understanding. Now, let's take this power and ability one step farther.

Imagine such power brought down to a level where if affects me internally. This God I speak of desires to change us and bring us out of the spiritual darkness of this world into an an awareness of what it means to be in a relationship with Him. The power that spoke creation into existence is now available to those who turn to seek Him. He is there waiting. Has been for a long time. Waiting for you to respond to His call.....His touch....His Power to free you from the darkness of sin that covers the human heart.

God? He is the One. He is the only One. God has no equal. Why do you think A.A. refers to Him as the HIGHER POWER. I take it one step further. To me, God is the HIGHEST POWER. Such is why it just befuddles me that such an individual would even take the time to give me or you a thought. But not only does He think about us, He loves us. Such love was the reason Jesus came to our time and space and gave Himself to pay a debt for our sins. Too lofty for me to grasp, but I believe it with everything in me. And for these 62 years I have followed Him, He has truly shown me the way. I haven't always followed Him, and at times gotten into the ditch because of my bad choices. But He has been faithful to hear my cries and come and rescue me, clean me up, and tell me "Let's try this one more time."

God truly is the one.

Sing it Dion!

God on you...

michael b

BRYAN DUNCAN SHARES SOME TRUTH THIS MORNING

 

OH that we could grasp the simple fact of the love God has for His children. That is real, tangible, there for you to not only know with your mind and heart, but to experience daily in your life.

Look past the "80's" album cover and let Bryan Duncan's voice flow over you.
We all need a Savior and that Savior is Jesus!
More now than ever before, I need you Lord.
SO much darkness...
So little time...
So many people who don't know you....Let this be the day of Salvation for those who stand outside of Your will, Father (and don't even recognize this fact). Let them find you today and the Power You possess to change them.

How can I rest....
How can I stop....
Grant me grace and strength to at least finish my race and with my dying breath may I proclaim the greatness of you, Lord!

Praise God! What a Savior Jesus is.

God on you....
mb

LIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM

 

"Out in the eye of the storm, the friends of God suffer no permanent harm.."     Mark Heard.

Seems to be a belief among people that God is a kind of "good fairy" that will not let harm come to HIS people. While I do believe that God is a protecting God, and one who cares and loves deeply for those who live for Him, I believe that for us who walk this planet, life happens.

Cancer comes knocking and claims lives....
Divorce rears a division between a married couple....
Addiction takes people away before it's their time....
But when you proclaim your allegiance to the One True Living God..You can lose your head. You can have your business closed and be run out of town. You can be hauled into court and even jailed. 

IF you want Scripture to see that pain and suffering is a part of life especially when you are a follower of Jesus, all you have to do is turn to Hebrews 11:35-38 - "But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground."

I realize that what was written in the Hebrews passage is kind of extreme,but when you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, the ante goes up. We become enemies of this world. But such does not give us liberty to cover our heads and disappear from society. The one part of the Mark Heard song, "Eye of the Storm", that I dearly love is where he sings..."The friends of God suffer no permanent harm." Emphasis on the word "Permanent".  There is nothing in this world that can separate me from the love of God. Everything that can happen to me, no matter how bad, is only temporary. I will die eventually. I will find out the truth of what I have staked my very life on. I will stand before the one who died for me, and I will worship Him like it's nobodies business. The things and events of this world will fade away in His presence, and I will live in the Glory of God for ever. Why, I can't even wrap my brain around that one. But I know that I know, way down deep inside me that it is a truth born from the heart of God who sent His Son to die in my place. A Son who paid a price for my sin that I could never repay.

I don't want this mornings posting to depressing or gloomy. The truth is, I want us all to dig our heels in a little deeper and say, "We're not turning back, no matter what happens." So here is what I rest in this morning. That no matter how dark and spiritually oppressive our society becomes...God is in control. No matter what I may face as a believer and follower of Jesus..God has me in the palm of His hand. No matter what happens to me, it is but a momentary light affliction that will pass away. 

So today, I will focus on Jesus, not on this world.
I will listen for His voice, and not the world's message.
I will seek His face, and not the world's agenda.
I will rejoice in my salvation, and not the destruction that is ongoing in this world.
I will tell my story..a story of hope, and not be a spreader of fear and depression.
Today, I will follow in His Steps, and not walk the broad way to destruction that the world is following.
He is a good God!

God on you...
mbb 

ANOTHER DAY-----ANOTHER SONG

 First cup of coffee this morning. I am a "Mug-a-holic" in that I have certain coffee mugs that I prefer. This morning is my NASA cup that my brother in law gave me after his trip to Florida.

This cup always reminds me to "Keep looking up". Not only to see the wonders of the night sky, but to always be mindful that this could be the day of the Lord's return. Not going to get into a theological debate here, just stating what runs though my head.

Found myself parked in Psalms 108 this morning, finding some truth that I want for my own life.

V.1 - My heart, O God, is steadfast! In other words, I will not be easily shaken by the things I see and hear from my culture or my society. Instead, I will rest upon the person and truth of God. I will not be tossed and thrown about by every bit or snippet of rumor or lies that come my way.

V.1 - I will sing and make music with all my soul. Now I know that old David was a musical kind of guy. When you spend a lot of your time alone with a flock of sheep, then you have opportunities to sing and write songs. Sheep make a good audience I guess. Maybe we need to incorporate "sheep" worship in our services so that we might find freedom to sing from the heart rather than from the page. David states that he is going to make music with all his soul. Not his heart, not because he is talented......not because he can whip off some pretty good notes on a harp or lyre. But because music from the soul is birthed from the very depths of who you are and what you believe.

V.2 - Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. Don't you know if David had any neighbor's nearby, they got all excited (not) when David commenced to sing and play. When David writes about the dawn, he is speaking more than referring to the sun coming up. He is proclaiming the power of God to take us from spiritual darkness into the dawn and light of His kingdom. Now that is something worth singing about. Sounds to me like a good way to start our day...worshiping the one who gave us life for another day. 

I do not know what this day holds. It may be my last one here on this planet. But I know the One who holds my life, and from my view point........He is truly worth praising and worshiping this morning.

Thank you Lord for another day...

May I spend myself on following you this day.

Michael b

THOUGHTS FROM TOZER

 

(Excerpts from the book The Knowledge Of The Holy)

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

Our understanding of God shapes the way we approach him. The way we think he feels about us. It affects every area of our being as we live daily.

"The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man's spiritual history will demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God."

Maybe the reason the God we claim to understand doesn't speak to us is that we truly believe he doesn't act in that way anymore. We fall upon the idea that God is an impersonal god and that he has no time for us. We believe that God created everything but then walked away and left it to run on its on. The thought that God the creator actually desires to have a personal relationship with this sinful, imperfect creation boggle our finite minds. Truth be known, not only does he want to have relationship, he has provided the very means in which it can take place. God is a communicating God, speaking and revealing himself to people through His word (Bible) and through events and situations that we find ourselves in daily.

"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."

The view we hold to today of who God is and what he really is like influences and directs the decisions we make at to our future. If my view of God is that, "Yes...He is real...Yes He is God...but I don't really want to surrender my will or my life to Him, " then we will go about the business of living our lives based not just on good intentions or to do the right thing, but under the influence of our sinful nature (Yes, Virginia, we all have a sinful nature or bent to be independent from God) which will lead me not toward God, but away from him.

Why do you believe what you do?
Where did your beliefs come from?
Can you back up what you believe in Scripture?

It is important that we all check ourselves and what we believe and make sure that our religious beliefs are not from opinions and others who claim to know the truth. We need to search out for ourselves what does God say. Who is God to me.

Food for thought today.

Verse of the Day:

John 6:35

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

God on you....

mb

YOU'VE GOT TO CHOOSE

 

My Jesus is not a republican....
He is not a democrat....
He has no political affiliation except to His Father's Kingdom rule.

He is not a capitalist..
Neither is He a communist...socialist...Fascist.
He stands alone above such divisions.

He is no respecter of persons....
His love is not directed to any one particular socio-ethnic group.
He does not love based on the color of a person's skin.
He loves simply because that is His nature.

He does hold a standard that is not lessened for anyone.
That standard is sin....
Sin separates all from God.....
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My Jesus knew the darkness that is in every man and woman's heart. He doesn't measure the evidence of a dark heart by the behavior. In other words....He doesn't look at the crook any different than He does at the person who told a lie. He doesn't hold the cheater in higher regard than He does the heroin addict. 
Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

All?
Yes, all?
That includes me. Such is the reason I follow Jesus today. His Holy Spirit convicted me of what I had done by showing me who I was...a sinner. The longer I pondered my fate, the more I realized that I was doomed to hell. There wasn't any get-out-hell free cards to be distributed to a luck few. There was simply what Jesus did on the cross when He died....and what Jesus accomplished when He was resurrected, and stepped out of that tomb on the first Easter Morning. 

All have sinned?
Who falls under "ALL"?
Everyone.
Everyone is in need of this gift of eternal life with God.
So how do I get this "life" thing?
Go to K-mart?
Surely Walmart has it. They have everything.
I know....
Amazon or Ebay!

Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:12-13 - For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

So...how's your heart this morning?
Is it still weighed down by the presence of the sin darkness?
Or has it been changed by my Jesus?
Do you truly know where you will spend eternity when you die...?
Or does that thought scare you to death?
It's a good day to turn to God...
He's there...
He's waiting to hear you.

God on you...
mbb