Letting God Work In and Through You

I have always enjoyed the wit, wisdom, and preaching and teaching of Dr. Adrian Rogers. I subscribe to the LWF daily devotion and on occasion share them here. One from this past week particularly spoke to me, as I think it will most Christians, and wanted to share it, too.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
One of the greatest secrets I have ever learned is this: God doesn’t want me to do anything for Him. He wants to do something through me.

People say, “Well, I just serve God in my poor, little, old weak way.” I feel like saying, “Well, quit it. He doesn’t want you to serve Him in your poor, little, old weak way. He wants you out of the way, so He can flow through you!”

We need to make ourselves available to God and say, “God, I’m tired of being inhibited. I want to be inhabited by You. I want You to live Your life through me.”

ACTION POINT:
Where have you been standing in the way of God instead of surrendering to God and letting Him live through you?

Pastor’s Corner

Pastors Corner 5-13-2012

It seems like only a few days ago that we were celebrating Mother’s Day and I wish I had the words to tell each of the women in the church how important you are to your family and to the church. Like your immediate family the church does not always tell you how much we appreciate your service and dedication to the church. No matter how the church honors you today, I do not think that it will express the true gratitude we feel for you in our hearts. It will just plainly not be enough recognition for your service to your family and the church. God has honored you with one of the greatest gifts given to mankind, the ability to bear children in the image of God. This gift is closely behind the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ or even the gift of life itself. God himself tells us the price on your service to your husband, family, and fellow man is far greater than precious jewels. With all this said, I would like to make a feeble attempt to thank you on behalf of the church for your love and service to everyone. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.

Pastor Danny

iFast

Last week my iPhone crashed out on me. There was no warning, no “signs”, it just stopped working. Luckily I had backed it up only a day or so earlier while working on a Power Point presentation for our Youth Church service. But I was smart phone-less for several very long days. During that time I realized just how dependent I am on this wonder-gadget. Last fall I went on an intentional iFast while we were in the mountains with another couple from church. But while I was there I still was able to use it for my daily devotional reading and a few other tasks. This time around I couldn’t do any thing with it.

We are blessed to be the first generation to have such unfettered access to God’s Word; I have an entire study library on my phone! Any place we can access the Internet we can read multiple translations of the Bible, search dictionaries and concordances, and read many different commentaries and articles. Today almost everyone has web-enabled device and even more have home web access. And yet we are among the most biblically ignorant, biblically illiterate (US citizens) people on the earth. And we are, by and large, much less biblically knowledgeable than our parents and grandparents. Pitiful…

We have tools that were never before available, communication methods not even dreamed of in my grandparents time, and the most wonderful and important message in history to share, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and yet there are so many who don’t know Him.

When it comes to God’s Word, we stand without excuse for not putting in the time and effort it takes to know it. We have the tools but lack the love for Him that He has for us. That’s truly pitiful.

40 Day Challenge

As most of you know, our church has been challenged by Pastor Danny to set aside 30 minutes a day, every day, for 40 days to read the Word aloud with our families, beginning and ending in prayer. Today I received the following in an email newsletter from author Ray Comfort at Living Waters. I must say that I know too well the “excuses” he mentions, as we have been fighting many of them in this challenge. I hope that his thoughts might encourage you and strengthen your resolve to have a “family altar” time, too.

If you want “godly offspring,” it is essential that you make the time to establish a family altar. Build it out of the unmovable rocks of resolution. You will need to be resolute about this because it will be a battle. Your flesh will fight it, and you can be sure there will be a continual spiritual battle within your mind. “Circumstances” will constantly crop up. Your kids will occasionally groan when you announce that it is time for devotions. Loved ones may subtly, subconsciously discourage you. However, your time of family devotions should be a priority for your whole family. Don’t be legalistic about it, but as much as possible, put all other things aside before you postpone or cancel family devotions.

It will be an altar of sacrifice, as you sacrifice your time, your energy, and sometimes your dignity. For years, our kids heard, “Six o’clock—reading time.” My wife and I dropped whatever we were doing, and the children learned to do the same, and we gathered as a family. Making it a priority for your family’s growth will speak volumes about its importance in their lives.

Again, you will find that there are many excuses for not having devotions. You may be pressed for time, feel tired, or think you are unable to teach the Bible. However, there is one very powerful reasonwhy you should have daily devotions: the eternal salvation of your children. (Adapted from How to Bring Your Children to Christ…& Keep Them There.)

Malachi 2:15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

Pastor’s Corner

Pastors Corner 4-29-2012

I was thinking about the revival when I started to write this pastor’s corner. I began by looking up the word revival in the dictionary. The definitions were technically correct and had words like “reviving” and “awakening” but did not convey a personal meaning of a revival. If you look for the word revival in the Bible you will not find it or I cannot find it. You can find were there were different places where revivals occurred (Acts chapter 2 and 8 are only two examples) and in those events it changed the lives of people. Those two events were only part of the greatest revival to ever occur and that revival is still going on today. What I am talking about is the grace/love of God delivered by His son Jesus Christ which changed the world. When you have been saved or revived by the hand of God (Holy Spirit) through his word there are no dictionary definition to fully describe the changes it makes in people’s lives. God bless and pray hard for the revival.

Pastor Danny

Paying Attention…or Not

As I was out running errands today I pulled up to a red light along side an 18-wheeler. I glanced up at the cab as I came to a stop beside it and noticed the driver look down at me. I was listening to a CD that had just “cycled” around to the beginning and decided to change it while at the stop light. As I fished out the CD I wanted to listen to I noticed the truck roll forward slightly and stop. I continued to eject and then insert the CDs, not paying any attention really to any thing else. The semi-truck then revved up it’s engine and began to take off, so I did the same thing. But after moving about a car-length I realized the light was still red! I stopped quickly and glanced in my mirror to see the chucking driver: He has noticed I was not paying attention and waited on the opposite light and turn signal to turn green and then, when there was no oncoming traffic, acted like he was going through the light to kind of goad me out into an embarrassing but not dangerous situation.

After shaking off the ignorant thing I’d just done I thought how this reminds me of what the devil will do to us. We are most generally on the look out for, of aware of, the “roaring lion who seeks who he may destroy”. But it’s the laughing hyena, or more Scripturally correct the “wolf in sheeps clothing”, that can slip by us. Make no mistake, our’s is a cunning enemy and he will fly right under the radar, in a most unexpected manner, to make his attacks. We, therefore, have to always be vigilant in our walk in this life. Drawing close to our Lord, feasting on His Word, and being in regular fellowship with His children are the best way to do that. And the best defense against the overt and covert attacks we face.

IE Day 2012

April 29, 2012, is slated as Internet Evangelism day and it is quickly approaching. But there is still plenty of time for you and your church to get involved! Here is a list of 14 ways churches and individuals can make a digital-difference.

With the proliferation of web-enabled devices, especially smart phones, we have today everyone can and should share the Good News of Jesus Christ. And it is way easier than you might think. So, take five minutes out today, read through the idea and articles that the IE Day folks have amassed and jump in: only good will come from it.

Breakfast

Wednesday morning I had an appointment with my family doctor for routine blood work. For these samples I had to fast: nothing but my regular medications, water or black coffee after midnight. Soon after I woke up Wednesday morning I was hungry, wishing I could have breakfast. This is abnormal for me since I’m not one to eat breakfast soon after I awake. I knew fairly quickly that it was just my subconscious knowing that I couldn’t eat making me want to eat, missing what I could normally have.

Those of us that have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior know the sweet feeling, the joy and wonderful feeling of being saved, a child of the King. Those who’ve yet to come to saving faith, however, don’t know what they are missing because they have not tasted of the Living Water; you can’t miss what you haven’t had. But you can have a desire to taste of some thing that looks inviting: think of a photo of a tasty looking dish that made you want to try it on a menu for instance. So, the question beckons: Are we, Christians, living out faith out loud, for the lost to see and have a curious desire about? Or do we look more like the world in their eyes?

It’s not the peace and joy of the times on the mountain that unsaved folks notice, it’s the inner peace, the calm assurance from Him that abides in us during the storms and valleys that they take note of …

Pastor’s Corner

Pastors Corner 4-1-2012

Last Sunday I presented the church with a proposal to think about for a week. I’ve had another week to think about it and still think that it is a good idea. The suggestion, I am going to call Making God’s Word a Priority, is intended as a way for the church to get closer to their immediate family while they get closer to God. The proposal asks for a thirty minute daily commitment to reading God’s word for forty days. During this time the family will come together and turn off all distractions (television, phones, computers, back ground music, basically anything that would distract). The family should start out by holding hands and praying before they start reading. Each member of the family should take turns reading out loud. Once you have read for thirty minutes then hold hands again and end in prayer. Depending on your family circumstances your version of Making God’s Word a Priority may be somewhat different. You can start out anywhere in the Bible and do not have to do the books in order. This should give us a way to make God’s Word a priority in our lives and by the end of the forty day I hope that we all look forward to spending these thirty minutes with God and our families.

Pastor Danny

Garbage In…

I was thinking about a couple of projects I did last fall, compared to a couple I’ve done recently, and the results I obtained from them. Last fall I had s couple of small side tables to refinish. I used what I had on hand, as far as paint and things go, and put a fair amount of time into both of them. But the results were, well, less than stellar. This past week I refurbished a couple of old metal utility carts. For these projects I got new paint, a specific type and color for each one, and used new and different primer on them both. I also used a different technique and products for the preparation phase. And you know what? They results were a whole lot better, at least in my opinion, with these carts than I got from the tables. I think the difference was in the products I used: what I had on hand verses getting the specific item that I needed for the projects. I guess this would be kind of an example of “garbage in, garbage out”, as the old saying goes.

This principle is equally true with what we fill ourselves with: if we fill our mind with garbage our attitudes will reflect that. The Bible says

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

. If we feast upon godly things we will produce good fruit in all areas of our lives, fruit that is pleasing to God and useful to His purposes. But if we indulge in the worldly, godless things the product will be far from fruitful; it will be useless garbage.