Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sean McDowell: The Hidden Price Tag of Porn
Sean McDowell: The Hidden Price Tag of Porn: Today’s pornography is different from any in the past in three ways: accessibility, quality, and consumption.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Long for God more than His works
Have you ever read something and thought, "I wish I'd said that." What is really frustrating for me is that...it's usually something pretty basic and simple. But for some reason, at that moment it seems to carry more significance...to be more profound. A while back I was reading Gordon MacDonald's book Gripped by the Greatness of God. He tells of the time in the 1980s when they began Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Over the next 13 years the church grew tremendously. Their facilities became inadequate and they needed to relocate. For 2 years they searched for land and finally found a piece of property. He writes:
The property was owned by the Catholic Church, and they don't sell much-especially not to an evangelical church. Nevertheless, our church's history is one of multiplied miraculous answers to prayer, and so we set about to test the promises of God.
I filled my heart with faith based on Mark 11:24, "All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted you," and I repeatedly went out on the property to walk and pray. Our elders gathered on the vacant land holding hands in a circle, calling out to God by faith and asking Him to give us this land.
Behind the scenes it really appeared as if He would. Doors that were previously slammed shut began to open. Key people within the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy began to soften to the idea of selling us the land, even to the point of contacting us and inviting an offer. I continued to pray as the private negotiations accelerated, telling our church on several occasions that a miracle was imminent that would "blow their minds." So focused I became on "claiming this mountain" that I hardly thought of anything else.
I begged God to do this work and put myself in a very dangerous position spiritually. Psalm 106:15 says God "gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" (NKJV).
God doesn't want us to long for His works more than we long for Him. God is not a heavenly genie waiting reluctantly till we rub the lamp the right way. We must be very careful of begging God to do some specific work in a way that quenches our thirst for Him and His greatness alone.
(pp. 138-139)
---
This is where I have been lately. He has been reminding me to desire Him more than His provisions. It is kind of like being a boy with a rich dad (well it is actually a lot like that). The danger can be for that boy to miss the relationship with his dad for all that that dad can provide.
Father, I love you. I want to know you more today.
The property was owned by the Catholic Church, and they don't sell much-especially not to an evangelical church. Nevertheless, our church's history is one of multiplied miraculous answers to prayer, and so we set about to test the promises of God.
I filled my heart with faith based on Mark 11:24, "All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted you," and I repeatedly went out on the property to walk and pray. Our elders gathered on the vacant land holding hands in a circle, calling out to God by faith and asking Him to give us this land.
Behind the scenes it really appeared as if He would. Doors that were previously slammed shut began to open. Key people within the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy began to soften to the idea of selling us the land, even to the point of contacting us and inviting an offer. I continued to pray as the private negotiations accelerated, telling our church on several occasions that a miracle was imminent that would "blow their minds." So focused I became on "claiming this mountain" that I hardly thought of anything else.
I begged God to do this work and put myself in a very dangerous position spiritually. Psalm 106:15 says God "gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" (NKJV).
God doesn't want us to long for His works more than we long for Him. God is not a heavenly genie waiting reluctantly till we rub the lamp the right way. We must be very careful of begging God to do some specific work in a way that quenches our thirst for Him and His greatness alone.
(pp. 138-139)
---
This is where I have been lately. He has been reminding me to desire Him more than His provisions. It is kind of like being a boy with a rich dad (well it is actually a lot like that). The danger can be for that boy to miss the relationship with his dad for all that that dad can provide.
Father, I love you. I want to know you more today.
Monday, January 25, 2010
What a day!
OK...so i am not real regular at writing on my blog. But yesterday was...well...wow! I was so pumped to give a word that I felt i had been given to give to the Journey. BUT nearly from the start, we faced one issue after another as we prepared for service. For those that don't know, we are in a temporary location and so we set up each Sunday...staging...sound...lights...chairs, everything.
From the beginning of the set up to the time we tried to begin worship, there was one technical thing after another giving us problems. By the time we began worship, i was a wreck...i was spinning mentally, physically, and spiritually. I was upset because of circumstances not being just right. But God was preparing to do something in spite of all of that.
The message was His despite the way the enemy would fight it. God's word is powerful and so it is obvious the enemy would love nothing more than to distract. But God was large. In our weakness He is so strong.
So the truth about all this is God does not need lights and sound to be just right...for Pete's sake, He doesn't need me, either...i am grateful He chooses to use me, though. What a rush to be His.
Charles West said, "We turn to God when our foundations are shaking - only to learn that it's God Who was shaking them."
MORE IMPORTANTLY, here is what God's word says...Psalms 139:7-10 (NIV)
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
God will work WHERE He wants WHEN He wants IN THE WAY He wants. I will rest in that today.
From the beginning of the set up to the time we tried to begin worship, there was one technical thing after another giving us problems. By the time we began worship, i was a wreck...i was spinning mentally, physically, and spiritually. I was upset because of circumstances not being just right. But God was preparing to do something in spite of all of that.
The message was His despite the way the enemy would fight it. God's word is powerful and so it is obvious the enemy would love nothing more than to distract. But God was large. In our weakness He is so strong.
So the truth about all this is God does not need lights and sound to be just right...for Pete's sake, He doesn't need me, either...i am grateful He chooses to use me, though. What a rush to be His.
Charles West said, "We turn to God when our foundations are shaking - only to learn that it's God Who was shaking them."
MORE IMPORTANTLY, here is what God's word says...Psalms 139:7-10 (NIV)
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
God will work WHERE He wants WHEN He wants IN THE WAY He wants. I will rest in that today.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
God is BIG Enough
God is BIG Enough!
Over the past few weeks at Journey, we have been talking about the names and character of God. Each week I have said, "the more we know about God the more we can trust Him."
We have seen Him as Elohim - the "Creator" and our "Powerful God." The we saw Him as El Roi - the "God Who Sees." He is always there when we need Him. He protects and provides for His children. We have also seen Him as El Shaddai - the "Almighty" and "All-Sufficient One." We have seen Him as "Jehovah" - He gave us His personal name because He wants to know us personally. We have seen Him as Lord - "Adonai." We have seen Him as the "Healer God" - Jehovah Rapha. And this past Sunday we talked about God as Jehovah Jireh - The Lord our Provider.
The reason many of us feel God isn't answering us or isn't providing for us is because of our vision of what His answer looks like. When we pray, we ask for what seems to be the real issue - "a bill to be paid," or "for healing for someone," or whatever. And the truth is, God could snap His finders and you could be wealthy beyond description or completely healthy. However, God is not just into quick fixes. He is about the bigger picture of our lives...the bigger picture of the entire kingdom of God.
It is like tapestry. The top of the tapestry is beautiful - full of colors and design. The bottom is a different story entirely - hundreds of knots, pieces of thread hanging everywhere, no noticeable design. Where BEAUTY is a word that describes the top...a word that would describe the bottom would be CHAOS.
We are focused on the chaos of our lives - not enough money for the bills, too few customers, health problem still not resolved, stress at home, and on and on.
God is looking at the top - the finished product of our lives. He is more concerned with what it takes to teach us to be godly and develop character than the "quick fix" in our lives. Simply put - the problems and stresses that you are dealing with right now, have an eternal purpose.
Maybe you have been praying the same prayer for a while:
- "God, I need more money..."
- "God, I need a different job...or I need a job that I like..."
- "God, I need to be healed...my spouse or child needs to be healed..."
- "God, I want peace in my home..."
- "God, I want to be married..."
If our prayer has not been answered to our satisfaction (I just laughed out loud - "our satisfaction" - that's kind of funny) we probably need to change our prayers. Remember Paul's words...
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
So when we find our prayers not being answered like we wanted or in the time frame we wanted, we would do well to change our prayer...
"God, I have been asking for (your specific prayer request) for some time now. I know you are so powerful and could answer my prayer instantly if you chose to..."
- "is there something in me that needs to be changed?"
- "is there sin in me that needs to be dealt with?"
- "what am I supposed to learn about you through this time?"
- "is there some action you have already told me to do that I am not yet doing?"
- "God move in my life however you choose to...I trust you."
...or any number of other prayers that open our hearts and minds to what HE wants to do in us. It is at this point that we will see God in a new way...
God is BIG Enough!
Over the past few weeks at Journey, we have been talking about the names and character of God. Each week I have said, "the more we know about God the more we can trust Him."
We have seen Him as Elohim - the "Creator" and our "Powerful God." The we saw Him as El Roi - the "God Who Sees." He is always there when we need Him. He protects and provides for His children. We have also seen Him as El Shaddai - the "Almighty" and "All-Sufficient One." We have seen Him as "Jehovah" - He gave us His personal name because He wants to know us personally. We have seen Him as Lord - "Adonai." We have seen Him as the "Healer God" - Jehovah Rapha. And this past Sunday we talked about God as Jehovah Jireh - The Lord our Provider.
The reason many of us feel God isn't answering us or isn't providing for us is because of our vision of what His answer looks like. When we pray, we ask for what seems to be the real issue - "a bill to be paid," or "for healing for someone," or whatever. And the truth is, God could snap His finders and you could be wealthy beyond description or completely healthy. However, God is not just into quick fixes. He is about the bigger picture of our lives...the bigger picture of the entire kingdom of God.
It is like tapestry. The top of the tapestry is beautiful - full of colors and design. The bottom is a different story entirely - hundreds of knots, pieces of thread hanging everywhere, no noticeable design. Where BEAUTY is a word that describes the top...a word that would describe the bottom would be CHAOS.
We are focused on the chaos of our lives - not enough money for the bills, too few customers, health problem still not resolved, stress at home, and on and on.
God is looking at the top - the finished product of our lives. He is more concerned with what it takes to teach us to be godly and develop character than the "quick fix" in our lives. Simply put - the problems and stresses that you are dealing with right now, have an eternal purpose.
Maybe you have been praying the same prayer for a while:
- "God, I need more money..."
- "God, I need a different job...or I need a job that I like..."
- "God, I need to be healed...my spouse or child needs to be healed..."
- "God, I want peace in my home..."
- "God, I want to be married..."
If our prayer has not been answered to our satisfaction (I just laughed out loud - "our satisfaction" - that's kind of funny) we probably need to change our prayers. Remember Paul's words...
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
So when we find our prayers not being answered like we wanted or in the time frame we wanted, we would do well to change our prayer...
"God, I have been asking for (your specific prayer request) for some time now. I know you are so powerful and could answer my prayer instantly if you chose to..."
- "is there something in me that needs to be changed?"
- "is there sin in me that needs to be dealt with?"
- "what am I supposed to learn about you through this time?"
- "is there some action you have already told me to do that I am not yet doing?"
- "God move in my life however you choose to...I trust you."
...or any number of other prayers that open our hearts and minds to what HE wants to do in us. It is at this point that we will see God in a new way...
God is BIG Enough!
Monday, September 21, 2009
His masterpiece
Becoming His Masterpiece
Recently at Journey we talked about the fact that God is making us into masterpieces. But if you are like me, when you woke up today, that may not be how you "felt." Maybe you are tired from the holiday yesterday and you just tried to do too much...or maybe you worked on the holiday. Maybe you awoke to a spat with someone in your home. Whatever the reason is, you don't feel too much like a masterpiece.
Remember this verse?
"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9
Don't live on the shifting sands of your feelings. The enemy, the devil, does so much damage there. Instead, choose to live your life on the reality of God's love and faithfulness.
One of the greatest ways to experience God's best is to alter the way you live to fit what He says - simply when He shows us something, we obey. On the other side, when we are constantly wanting more and more, we develop a selfish life that is never content.
However, when we live our life for the glory of God, there is power and peace that happens. Everything we do, we do for HIM. That is the mentality.
Johann Sebastian Bach placed "S.D.G." on the bottom of every musical score he wrote. S.D.G....Soli Deo Gloria...For the Glory of God Alone.
What would happen if there was an SDG:
- on the bottom of the proposal you did at work
- on our report cards at school
- on our homes and marriages
- on our kids lives
- on our bank account
- on our relationships with friends
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
If we made it our goal to live that way, in whatever we do or say, our lives would be so different. God would be freed up to do so much more in us and through us.
For the Glory of God Alone! He is creating a masterpiece...this is just one more way we can cooperate with His process.
Recently at Journey we talked about the fact that God is making us into masterpieces. But if you are like me, when you woke up today, that may not be how you "felt." Maybe you are tired from the holiday yesterday and you just tried to do too much...or maybe you worked on the holiday. Maybe you awoke to a spat with someone in your home. Whatever the reason is, you don't feel too much like a masterpiece.
Remember this verse?
"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9
Don't live on the shifting sands of your feelings. The enemy, the devil, does so much damage there. Instead, choose to live your life on the reality of God's love and faithfulness.
One of the greatest ways to experience God's best is to alter the way you live to fit what He says - simply when He shows us something, we obey. On the other side, when we are constantly wanting more and more, we develop a selfish life that is never content.
However, when we live our life for the glory of God, there is power and peace that happens. Everything we do, we do for HIM. That is the mentality.
Johann Sebastian Bach placed "S.D.G." on the bottom of every musical score he wrote. S.D.G....Soli Deo Gloria...For the Glory of God Alone.
What would happen if there was an SDG:
- on the bottom of the proposal you did at work
- on our report cards at school
- on our homes and marriages
- on our kids lives
- on our bank account
- on our relationships with friends
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
If we made it our goal to live that way, in whatever we do or say, our lives would be so different. God would be freed up to do so much more in us and through us.
For the Glory of God Alone! He is creating a masterpiece...this is just one more way we can cooperate with His process.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
So this morning, i am getting messages from my TweetDeck. There is some activity, so i go and check it out and there are some absolutely obscene random comments from some guy to his peeps. DOH!
I blocked that because i don't need to have that kind of obscenity flooding my eyes and mind. BUT here is the question, God has called us to be salt and light. No question there...just fact! But how do we keep ourselves separate and make a difference? I almost didn't write the question because of how much of a simpleton i sounded like, but give it some time in your mind. It is not as easy as it sounds.
Another thing that makes this less than simple is that many of us have a past. Past mistakes, past sins, past patterns, and even past addictions. It is not good for some to get involved, because though they mean well and want to stand for God, it is in those times that they fall again.
Just thinking outloud. We ARE to make a difference, but we need to make sure we don't compromise along the way or even fall in the process.
I'm out!
I blocked that because i don't need to have that kind of obscenity flooding my eyes and mind. BUT here is the question, God has called us to be salt and light. No question there...just fact! But how do we keep ourselves separate and make a difference? I almost didn't write the question because of how much of a simpleton i sounded like, but give it some time in your mind. It is not as easy as it sounds.
Another thing that makes this less than simple is that many of us have a past. Past mistakes, past sins, past patterns, and even past addictions. It is not good for some to get involved, because though they mean well and want to stand for God, it is in those times that they fall again.
Just thinking outloud. We ARE to make a difference, but we need to make sure we don't compromise along the way or even fall in the process.
I'm out!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Passionate killing
It happened again. People who are passionate about a point of view compromising and confusing the very point they are passionate about.
Dr. George Tiller was gunned down in church, of all places. Dr. Tiller is best known as the late term abortion doctor. It is also thought that he broke laws in doing so. But to kill him. WOW! That defeats the very thing you are upset with him for - killing babies. I realize he is not innocent and that those babies are, but that is not the way we operate in a civilized environment.
Now there are several issues at play here, I realize. It appeared that his church condoned it, based on things said from a congregant and the fact that he was serving as an usher when he was shot. Pastors need to wake up and stand up. What kind of difference could this pastor have made if he would have help him more accountable or possibly even taught the word (and I am making an assumption here based on what we can see that the pastor was not doing either of those things).
It also seemed that he was allowed some place of leadership even being one who compromised what the Bible teaches. I realize that being an usher is a place of service, but in many larger churches, those places of service are held by deacons or other leaders.
Where do you draw the line? His wife was in the choir. If there is such a compromise of the truth, do you stop all family from serving until there is change and repentance? Probably needs to happen.
BUT - for someone to decide to be judge, jury, and executioner is completely wrong and sinful. He was trying to make a point and in the process, compromised and confused the very point he was trying to make - LIFE!
God help us be your people. Standing for you in a strong, clear way.
Dr. George Tiller was gunned down in church, of all places. Dr. Tiller is best known as the late term abortion doctor. It is also thought that he broke laws in doing so. But to kill him. WOW! That defeats the very thing you are upset with him for - killing babies. I realize he is not innocent and that those babies are, but that is not the way we operate in a civilized environment.
Now there are several issues at play here, I realize. It appeared that his church condoned it, based on things said from a congregant and the fact that he was serving as an usher when he was shot. Pastors need to wake up and stand up. What kind of difference could this pastor have made if he would have help him more accountable or possibly even taught the word (and I am making an assumption here based on what we can see that the pastor was not doing either of those things).
It also seemed that he was allowed some place of leadership even being one who compromised what the Bible teaches. I realize that being an usher is a place of service, but in many larger churches, those places of service are held by deacons or other leaders.
Where do you draw the line? His wife was in the choir. If there is such a compromise of the truth, do you stop all family from serving until there is change and repentance? Probably needs to happen.
BUT - for someone to decide to be judge, jury, and executioner is completely wrong and sinful. He was trying to make a point and in the process, compromised and confused the very point he was trying to make - LIFE!
God help us be your people. Standing for you in a strong, clear way.
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