Send It On Down

Here's a link my friend Pastor Phil Curtis brought to my attention. It seems appropriate for us this week, so turn up the speakers and give God praise!

A Few Things I Am Grateful For

I am grateful for a good weekend, the move of the Holy Spirit
I am grateful for those who came with hungry hearts and sought God
I am grateful for water baptism in the morning
I am grateful for Spirit baptism in the evening
I am grateful for a heritage open to the ministry of the Holy Spirit
I am grateful for a great church family
I am grateful for all those participating in the Easter choir
I am grateful for leaders stepping up to take care of things
I am grateful for my wife
I am grateful for health
I am grateful for people who are reading the Bible this year
I am grateful for people checking out our website and this blog
I am grateful for you!

What are you grateful for today?

My Bible Journey

Here are a few nuggets of truth from my Bible reading the past few weeks (in the New Living Translation):

Acts 13:22-23 – OBEDIENCE is huge! God draws a contrast between King Saul & David, saying of David: “…he will do everything I want him to”. Obedience is HUGE!

Acts 14:11-20 – People are fickle.

Acts 14:21 – Sometimes it takes GUTS to serve God.

Acts 14:19-20, 16:1 – Paul’s place of great pain (stoning), became a place of great gain (Timothy). It can be true for you too!

Exodus 1:8-21 – Fear of others and a lack of knowledge drives people to mistreat others. Fear of God leads to blessing.

Exodus 14 – God can make a way where there seems to be no way.

Acts 16:25-30 – There is power in PRAISE!

Matthew 16:24 – Jesus: “…If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.”

Psalm 37:23 – “The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives.”

Psalm 37:30 – “The godly offer good counsel; they know what is right from wrong.”

Psalm 37:34 – Don’t be impatient for the LORD to act! Travel steadily along his path.”

I would enjoy hearing what you are gleaning from your Bible reading.

John 3:16

Although it was one of the first verses I memorized as a child, John 3:16 never grows old. What a marvelous truth! Here is a favorite explanation of this most significant verse:

John 3:16
For God = The Greatest One
so loved = The Greatest Degree
the world = The greatest amount of people
that He gave = The greatest generosity
his one and only Son = The greatest uniqueness
that whoever = The greatest invitation
believes in Him = The greatest simplicity
shall not = The greatest certainty
perish = The greatest possible loss
but = The greatest difference
have = The greatest possession
eternal = The greatest length
life = The greatest gift

You are valued more deeply than you can dream or imagine.

Honoring Andy

This past week, Linton said “good-bye” to its #1 fan, Andy Barnes. It is amazing the number of lives he touched in his 38 short years here. Standing in the long line to enter the funeral service only served to confirm that fact. Anyone who is someone in our town was there, from government and school leaders to a large student contingent; it seemed all ages and all strata of society where in attendance.

It was a beautiful celebration of Andy’s life. Andy loved sports, specifically Linton sports. Dressed in red and blue school colors, he never missed a game but was always there cheering and encouraging the team. He had an infectious love of life, sports, other people and His Lord Jesus. He was genuine, kind and fun. He will be missed.

Seems we would all do well to take a page or two from his playbook.

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

Today is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. I just wanted you to know that. Seems our 16th President's birthday is getting lost amid the attention being given to another birthday, that of Charles Darwin. Chuck Colson writes eloquently about them in “Shaping the Modern World: Lincoln and Darwin”. Just click on the link below for his article.

http://www.crosswalk.com/news/commentary/11599510/

Facebook Turns Five

Facebook, the popular social networking site, just had a fifth birthday on February 5th. Although utilizing its services for only a couple months, I have already enjoyed reconnecting with friends from days gone by and found it helpful in communicating with current friends and acquaintances. It has been a blessing.

As with any technology, it holds opportunity for both good and bad. I recently ran across a listing of suggestions by Dr. Albert Mohler for, in his words, “safeguarding the social networking experience”. If you are a Facebook user, let me know what you think of his suggestions listed below.

1. Never allow social networking to replace or rival personal contact and communication. God made us to be social creatures that crave community. We cannot permit ourselves to substitute social networking for the harder work of building and maintaining personal relationships that are face to face.

2. Set clear parameters for the time devoted to social networking. These services can be seductive and time consuming. Social networking (and the Internet in general) can become obsessive and destructive of other relationships and higher priorities for the Christian.

3. Never write or post anything on a social networking site that you would not want the world to see, or anything that would compromise your Christian witness. There are plenty of young people (perhaps older persons now, too) who are ruining future job prospects and opportunities by social networking misbehavior. The cost to Christian witness is often far greater.

4. Never allow children and teenagers to have independent social networking access (or Internet access, for that matter). Parents should monitor, manage, supervise, and control the Internet access of their children and teens. Watch what your child posts and what their friends post.

5. Do not allow children and teens to accept any "friend" unknown to you. The social networking world can be a dangerous place, and parental protection here is vital.

6. Encourage older friends and relatives to sign up and use the technology. Grandparents can enjoy keeping up with grandchildren and with friends and loved ones separated by distance or mobility.

7. Use the social networking technology to bear witness to the Gospel, but never think that this can replace the centrality of face-to-face evangelism, witness, and discipleship.

8. Do all things to the glory of God, and do not allow social networking to become an idol or a display of narcissism.

Sore, Fat Pastor

I just finished a week of workouts at the gym. What a huge difference one week makes! – uh, not really. No visible muscle gain, no visible weight loss, nothing at all, except that I am now a SORE, fat pastor. Two options exist: to quit because nothing seems to be happening, or to keep going and do the workouts, anticipating the benefit to come.

We have the same options spiritually. Too often people quit too soon. They tried reading the Bible or having a daily prayer time for a week, only to stop because it seemed nothing was happening.

The benefits of working out are not readily evident after a day or even a week of trying. It takes training to see ongoing benefit. If I continue to train at the gym, I will see positive results. If you and I continue to train spiritually, giving ourselves to seeking God, we will see even greater results. Here is God’s word on the topic: “…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NIV)

I want that value, how about you?

Give To Caesar...

Headlines from recent days: Timothy Geithner apologized to Congress for what he called “careless mistakes” in failing to pay $34,000 in taxes. Tom Daschle asked for his nomination to be withdrawn following a controversy over unpaid taxes. Nancy Killefer, nominated as budget watchdog, also withdrew her nomination over tax issues. Geithner, Killefer, Daschle. Hmm.

This is a real simple post today. If you are a Christian, do not cheat on your taxes. Pay what you owe. In Mark 12:17, Jesus said “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” As followers of Christ we need to do both!

The Charlie Schulz Philosophy

I received the following in an email today. Love the Peanuts! It's a great message isn't it?

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials...the most money...or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.

''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"