Sunday, May 23, 2010
Secrets of The Vine by Bruce Wilkinson
So many times I have seen myself in Peter, with his spontaneous reactions so full of self. But not as much as in the moment when he plunged into the waters of grace, the waters of selfless abandon, the waters of remarkable abundance! He had three days to be consumed in the hopelessness he felt, consumed in his shame of betrayal and consumed with the heartbreak and loss of his adored companion. So when Christ stood on the bank of the Galilee to display yet another example of what the abundance in Christ looks like, Peter knew His savior immediately and launched himself overboard into a future "as big as God's love". Can you imagine the elation he felt as he plunged beneath the cleansing water that day, emerging from an ocean of mercies!! This day brought about the revelation of the abundance that is the destiny of every believer. In John 15, we are able to see the face of the Vinedresser up close, as He "steps in to lift us away from our own destructive and unfruitful pursuits." We are able to see the seasons of fruit bearing in a new way, and it's purpose is greater abundance for His glory! In the end, "what remains in your grip is one passion, one goal, one unhindered opportunity: to bear more fruit". The goal is much fruit!!!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Right With God by Ron Mehl
Loving Instruction From the Father's Heart
This little book describes the Ten Commandments "as a love letter from the hand of God". As God tells his people that they will be a treasure to Him above all people and reminds them of how He bore them on eagle's wings, He presents them with the commands they should follow. His purpose in these commands weren't to be harsh, but He knew what would "provide blessing, strength, a future, and a hope". As Christians, we should love His commands because they are what keep us from disaster, because it is only in Him that we will find true satisfaction, and because it provides a foundation for our lives. This book will allow you to see and understand each commandment intimately.
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proud—the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments.
Remove from me reproach and contempt,
For I have kept Your testimonies.
Princes also sit and speak against me,
But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors.
Psalms 119:17-24
This little book describes the Ten Commandments "as a love letter from the hand of God". As God tells his people that they will be a treasure to Him above all people and reminds them of how He bore them on eagle's wings, He presents them with the commands they should follow. His purpose in these commands weren't to be harsh, but He knew what would "provide blessing, strength, a future, and a hope". As Christians, we should love His commands because they are what keep us from disaster, because it is only in Him that we will find true satisfaction, and because it provides a foundation for our lives. This book will allow you to see and understand each commandment intimately.
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proud—the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments.
Remove from me reproach and contempt,
For I have kept Your testimonies.
Princes also sit and speak against me,
But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors.
Psalms 119:17-24
The Power of Crying Out by Bill Gothard
When Prayer Becomes Mighty
God longs to be there for us when we cry out to Him. He delights in showing Himself strong to us in the midst of impossible situations. When we come before Him in utter dependence with a life that is beyond our abilities, we find His overwhelming love. The posture of a broken heart and soul before God captures His tender mercies, and He stoops down to be near to us when we are powerless. It is in this time He desires to give us His power, it is then that prayer becomes mighty.
I Cry Out
Cries flow from my lips, to His ears like
a flood,
Into His sanctuary, covered by Christ's
blood.
Before a listening God, an outflow
of love,
Patiently I wait for Him, my redeemer
from above.
Stooping close to hear me, He hideth not
his face.
I quencheth not the Spirit, prompted by
His grace.
To all who call upon Him, the promise to
be near.
In my times of trouble, He answers "I
Am here".
Every sigh and gasp and whisper or in the
slightest groan,
Each cry of desperation falls before
His throne.
In harmony it echoes, in mercy
intercedes,
The loving voice of Christ, appeals my
every need.
I find in Him delight, with brokenness
of soul,
For it's His greatest pleasure, His blessings
to bestow.
It's not what my will would be, but only His
I pray.
For His purpose glorify, The life, The truth,
The way.
Amy Rainey
5/2010
God longs to be there for us when we cry out to Him. He delights in showing Himself strong to us in the midst of impossible situations. When we come before Him in utter dependence with a life that is beyond our abilities, we find His overwhelming love. The posture of a broken heart and soul before God captures His tender mercies, and He stoops down to be near to us when we are powerless. It is in this time He desires to give us His power, it is then that prayer becomes mighty.
I Cry Out
Cries flow from my lips, to His ears like
a flood,
Into His sanctuary, covered by Christ's
blood.
Before a listening God, an outflow
of love,
Patiently I wait for Him, my redeemer
from above.
Stooping close to hear me, He hideth not
his face.
I quencheth not the Spirit, prompted by
His grace.
To all who call upon Him, the promise to
be near.
In my times of trouble, He answers "I
Am here".
Every sigh and gasp and whisper or in the
slightest groan,
Each cry of desperation falls before
His throne.
In harmony it echoes, in mercy
intercedes,
The loving voice of Christ, appeals my
every need.
I find in Him delight, with brokenness
of soul,
For it's His greatest pleasure, His blessings
to bestow.
It's not what my will would be, but only His
I pray.
For His purpose glorify, The life, The truth,
The way.
Amy Rainey
5/2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Destiny and Deliverance
Spiritual Insights From The Life of Moses
Referring to the Dreamworks production of The Prince of Egypt with insights from authors: Philip Yancey, Max Lucado, John C. Maxwell, Jack Hayford, Joni Eareckson Tada, Tommy Barnett, Kenneth Boa, and Thelma Wells
As a Sovereign God, the cries of the Children of Israel, under the oppression of the Egyptians came at no surprise to Him. At the time His children's voices rose to heaven and He saw their sorrows, His plan for deliverance was already eighty years in motion. From the basket in the bullrushes to the burning bush at the back of the desert, God in His grace was fashioning the Father of the Prophets for the destiny of deliverance. The story of Moses reveals the heart of a God that refuses to leave His people in deserted places but desires to come to us at the point of our failures and show us forgiveness. Moses' story "is a story of God's power showing up best and most beautifully through weak people". For Moses knew well the wonders of becoming a vessel God could use despite his stubbornness. Moses was drawn to an irresistable God whose nature was just but merciful. Though Moses was only able to behold the Promised Land from the heights of Pisgah, on the Eastern shore of the Jordan, he believed his reward awaited him when he met the Lord face to face. "Since then, no prophet has risen like Moses", yet he stood with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, in the light of Heaven's Splendor!
Referring to the Dreamworks production of The Prince of Egypt with insights from authors: Philip Yancey, Max Lucado, John C. Maxwell, Jack Hayford, Joni Eareckson Tada, Tommy Barnett, Kenneth Boa, and Thelma Wells
As a Sovereign God, the cries of the Children of Israel, under the oppression of the Egyptians came at no surprise to Him. At the time His children's voices rose to heaven and He saw their sorrows, His plan for deliverance was already eighty years in motion. From the basket in the bullrushes to the burning bush at the back of the desert, God in His grace was fashioning the Father of the Prophets for the destiny of deliverance. The story of Moses reveals the heart of a God that refuses to leave His people in deserted places but desires to come to us at the point of our failures and show us forgiveness. Moses' story "is a story of God's power showing up best and most beautifully through weak people". For Moses knew well the wonders of becoming a vessel God could use despite his stubbornness. Moses was drawn to an irresistable God whose nature was just but merciful. Though Moses was only able to behold the Promised Land from the heights of Pisgah, on the Eastern shore of the Jordan, he believed his reward awaited him when he met the Lord face to face. "Since then, no prophet has risen like Moses", yet he stood with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, in the light of Heaven's Splendor!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Red Sea Rules by Robert Morgan
The Same God Who Led You In Will Lead You Out
How often do we find ourselves standing before our struggles and sorrow, looking into a sea of hopelessness? It is in these times that we wish someone would give us some guidelines to follow...someone would give us some instructions on what our next step should be. Because of our inability to see hope in the storm, we miss the place where all these instructions may be found. God's Word is all the guidance we need in every circumstance of our lives. From the Red Sea to the Promise Land, God desires to reveal His mighty power to work in the lives of those who cry out to Him. Whether we cry out in dependence or utter desperation, God desires to rescue and restore us. And when He does, His glory is magnified through our lives. So when the waves lap at our feet, and the dust rises behind us, step out in faith and walk on "dry ground through the midst of the sea".
The Red Sea Rules
Rule #1- Realize that God means for you to be where you are. (Ex. 14:1-2). The same God who led you in will lead you out.
Rule#2- Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief. (Exodus 14:3-4) The next time you are overwhelmed, instead of asking "How can I get out of this mess?", try asking, "How can God be glorified in this situation?". God deliberately orchestrated the Exodus events as an occassion for demonstrating the power He yields over His enemies and the elements.
Rule #3- Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord. (Exodus 14:5-9) Whenever we choose character over convenience, faithfulness over ease, or honesty over deceit, we bring honor to the Lord Himself. When we serve Him with watertight obedience even in small things, God is glorified, just as at the Red Sea.
Rule #4: Pray! (Exodus 14:10). When we can't press forward, move sideward, or step backward, it's time to look upward and to ask God to make a way. "Faith is to prayer what the feather is to the arrow; it feathers the arrow of prayer, and makes it fly swifter, and pierce the throne of grace". - Thomas Watson
Rule #5- Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work. (Exodus 14:13-14). He alone can storm the impregnable, devise the improbale, and perform the impossible. He alone can part the waters.
Rule #6- When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith. (Exodus 14:15) "God never gives guidance for two steps at a time. I must take one step, and then I get light for the next. This keeps the heart in abiding dependence upon God".
-C.H.Mackintosh
Rule #7- Envision God's enveloping presence. (Exodus 14:19-20). When you find yourself between sword and sea, remember that difficult times can sensitize us to God's nearness. He's never so close as when we're shipwrecked on omnipotence and driven by despair into His chambers where we find Him "a very present help in trouble". (Ps. 46:1)
Rule #8- Trust God to deliver in His own unique way. (Exodus 14:21-22). In the unfolding of His providence, burdens become blessings, tears lead to triumph, and the redemptive grace of God overcomes the undercurrents of life in the experiences of His children.
Rule #9- View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future. (Exodus 14:30-31). We don't always know why God allows problems, but we know He intends to use them to heighten our maturity and deepen our faith. Trials and troubles are dumbbells and treadmills for the soul. They develop strength and stamina.
Rule #10- Don't forget to praise Him. (Exodus 15:1-2). If wisdom is seeing things from God's point of view, praise is the natural reaction to that viewpoint. It's our typical expression of joyful confidence and triumphant thanksgiving at what God has done, is doing, and is going to do.
So whether you are on the upper side or underside of the storm, whether you are on the east bank or west bank of the Red Sea, God will make a way. And as He does, don't forget to praise Him.
About the Author: Rob J. Morgan: Author, Expositor, Speaker, Pastor. He is the pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has served for 29 years. He served as a staff writer for Dr. David Jeremiah and Turning Points Magazine, and has many articles published in other leading Christian periodicals.He worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. His wife Katrina is battling Multiple Sclerosis, he has 3 children and ten grandchildren.
How often do we find ourselves standing before our struggles and sorrow, looking into a sea of hopelessness? It is in these times that we wish someone would give us some guidelines to follow...someone would give us some instructions on what our next step should be. Because of our inability to see hope in the storm, we miss the place where all these instructions may be found. God's Word is all the guidance we need in every circumstance of our lives. From the Red Sea to the Promise Land, God desires to reveal His mighty power to work in the lives of those who cry out to Him. Whether we cry out in dependence or utter desperation, God desires to rescue and restore us. And when He does, His glory is magnified through our lives. So when the waves lap at our feet, and the dust rises behind us, step out in faith and walk on "dry ground through the midst of the sea".
The Red Sea Rules
Rule #1- Realize that God means for you to be where you are. (Ex. 14:1-2). The same God who led you in will lead you out.
Rule#2- Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief. (Exodus 14:3-4) The next time you are overwhelmed, instead of asking "How can I get out of this mess?", try asking, "How can God be glorified in this situation?". God deliberately orchestrated the Exodus events as an occassion for demonstrating the power He yields over His enemies and the elements.
Rule #3- Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord. (Exodus 14:5-9) Whenever we choose character over convenience, faithfulness over ease, or honesty over deceit, we bring honor to the Lord Himself. When we serve Him with watertight obedience even in small things, God is glorified, just as at the Red Sea.
Rule #4: Pray! (Exodus 14:10). When we can't press forward, move sideward, or step backward, it's time to look upward and to ask God to make a way. "Faith is to prayer what the feather is to the arrow; it feathers the arrow of prayer, and makes it fly swifter, and pierce the throne of grace". - Thomas Watson
Rule #5- Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work. (Exodus 14:13-14). He alone can storm the impregnable, devise the improbale, and perform the impossible. He alone can part the waters.
Rule #6- When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith. (Exodus 14:15) "God never gives guidance for two steps at a time. I must take one step, and then I get light for the next. This keeps the heart in abiding dependence upon God".
-C.H.Mackintosh
Rule #7- Envision God's enveloping presence. (Exodus 14:19-20). When you find yourself between sword and sea, remember that difficult times can sensitize us to God's nearness. He's never so close as when we're shipwrecked on omnipotence and driven by despair into His chambers where we find Him "a very present help in trouble". (Ps. 46:1)
Rule #8- Trust God to deliver in His own unique way. (Exodus 14:21-22). In the unfolding of His providence, burdens become blessings, tears lead to triumph, and the redemptive grace of God overcomes the undercurrents of life in the experiences of His children.
Rule #9- View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future. (Exodus 14:30-31). We don't always know why God allows problems, but we know He intends to use them to heighten our maturity and deepen our faith. Trials and troubles are dumbbells and treadmills for the soul. They develop strength and stamina.
Rule #10- Don't forget to praise Him. (Exodus 15:1-2). If wisdom is seeing things from God's point of view, praise is the natural reaction to that viewpoint. It's our typical expression of joyful confidence and triumphant thanksgiving at what God has done, is doing, and is going to do.
So whether you are on the upper side or underside of the storm, whether you are on the east bank or west bank of the Red Sea, God will make a way. And as He does, don't forget to praise Him.
About the Author: Rob J. Morgan: Author, Expositor, Speaker, Pastor. He is the pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has served for 29 years. He served as a staff writer for Dr. David Jeremiah and Turning Points Magazine, and has many articles published in other leading Christian periodicals.He worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. His wife Katrina is battling Multiple Sclerosis, he has 3 children and ten grandchildren.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Taking Back The Gospel by Bailey Smith
The Perils of a User-Friendly Faith
The Christians of this age must feel the urgency to proclaim the gospel to a world void of conscience. In a time when the local church is becoming illiterate to the doctrines in God's Word, we need true gospel now more than ever. In the church's desire to be "user-friendly", we have "dumbed-down the message" and " lightened up the requirements". "Today's gospel lite is hardly worth living for and certainly not worth dying for". We have presented a gospel that fails to convict sin and lead to true repentance. The failure to address sin not only neglects to bring unbelievers to repentance, but leads true believers to not see sin as being that harmful. When Christians begin to look like the world, it weakens their witness. So what is the church to do?
This book discusses the responsibility of the church, the pastor, church staff and the layperson.
The Christians of this age must feel the urgency to proclaim the gospel to a world void of conscience. In a time when the local church is becoming illiterate to the doctrines in God's Word, we need true gospel now more than ever. In the church's desire to be "user-friendly", we have "dumbed-down the message" and " lightened up the requirements". "Today's gospel lite is hardly worth living for and certainly not worth dying for". We have presented a gospel that fails to convict sin and lead to true repentance. The failure to address sin not only neglects to bring unbelievers to repentance, but leads true believers to not see sin as being that harmful. When Christians begin to look like the world, it weakens their witness. So what is the church to do?
This book discusses the responsibility of the church, the pastor, church staff and the layperson.
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