The reality is that there will never be peace in the world until there's peace within nations. And there will never be peace in our nation until there's peace in our communities. There won't be peace in our communities until there's peace in our families. And there won't be peace in our families until there's peace in our individual lives. That won't happen until the Prince of Peace reigns in our hearts. Jesus came at Christmas to bring to us three kinds of peace:
Peace with God
The peace of God
Peace with others
"A savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord!" - Luke 2:11
- Rick Warren, The Purpose of Christmas
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
I was hungry and you fed me
Matthew 25:34-40 (The Message)
34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
I interpret this to mean that when we do this, we are literally serving Jesus! Amazing how He is seen in those in need, and in us, serving them! He is just all over this kind of thing!
The awesome Heartgroup that we are so privileged to be a part of recently prepared and served the evening meal at our local homeless shelter. What an amazing experience - to be serving alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing our time, our food and our hearts. God was there, in the midst.
We are so blessed when we recognize just how much He loves, not only us, but EVERY single human being that He created, on this planet. That includes EVERYONE!! Oh the value He places on His creation. Of course He wants us to love and serve the very people He created! When we value the homeless as human beings and not just outcasts, they feel God valuing them! When they understand how special they are to God, this gives them hope for a new future.
Wow, the healing power of His love is AMAZING!!
34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
I interpret this to mean that when we do this, we are literally serving Jesus! Amazing how He is seen in those in need, and in us, serving them! He is just all over this kind of thing!
The awesome Heartgroup that we are so privileged to be a part of recently prepared and served the evening meal at our local homeless shelter. What an amazing experience - to be serving alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing our time, our food and our hearts. God was there, in the midst.
We are so blessed when we recognize just how much He loves, not only us, but EVERY single human being that He created, on this planet. That includes EVERYONE!! Oh the value He places on His creation. Of course He wants us to love and serve the very people He created! When we value the homeless as human beings and not just outcasts, they feel God valuing them! When they understand how special they are to God, this gives them hope for a new future.
Wow, the healing power of His love is AMAZING!!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Connecting With People
Connecting with People
by Pastor Rob Campbell
Human groupings can be divided three ways: common kinship, common community, and common interest. In the New Testament, the word for these groupings is oikos (see Acts 5:42; 20:20). An oikos is a social system composed of those connected to each other through common ties and tasks.
Reaching people for Christ and enriching the lives of others are best accomplished through one's oikos. How do you connect with these people? Let me give you four principles that you should find helpful.
First, value people. "You cannot make another person feel worthwhile if you secretly feel that the person is a nobody." My friends, anytime you devalue someone, you question God's creation. Each creation of God is highly valued by God--- let us mirror this value to others.
Second, look for common ground. God gave you and me two ears and one mouth for a reason. Simply put, stop jabbering and listen. Consider the following 101% Principle: Find the 1% you agree with and give it 100% of your effort. You cannot find the 1% if you do not employ the power of listening.
Next, seek first to understand and then to be understood. As believers, we are quick to give "answers" without first understanding the heart of the question. Nobody likes a know it all--- so stop trying to impress! Relax, take a deep breath and rid yourself of the expectation to answer all the questions. Begin with understanding and discovering the gifts and abilities of people. Applaud and affirm them--- who doesn't need a lifelong cheerleader?
Finally, to handle yourself...use your head...to handle others...use your heart. Consider the following:
Whose Point of View?
When the other fellow takes a long time, he's slow.
When I take a long time, I'm thorough. When the other fellow doesn't do it, he's lazy.
But when I don't do it, I'm busy.
When the other fellow does something without being told, he's overstepping his bounds.
But when I do it, that's initiative.
When the other fellow overlooks a rule of etiquette, he's rude.
But when I skip a few rules, I'm original. When the other fellow pleases the boss, he's an apple polisher.
But when I please the boss, that's cooperation.
When the other fellow gets ahead, he's getting the breaks.
But when I manage to get ahead, that's just the reward of hard work.
Relational Christianity is all about connecting with people. Pray to God for the wisdom and ability to build His kingdom by employing these principles in reaching your oikos.
by Pastor Rob Campbell
Human groupings can be divided three ways: common kinship, common community, and common interest. In the New Testament, the word for these groupings is oikos (see Acts 5:42; 20:20). An oikos is a social system composed of those connected to each other through common ties and tasks.
Reaching people for Christ and enriching the lives of others are best accomplished through one's oikos. How do you connect with these people? Let me give you four principles that you should find helpful.
First, value people. "You cannot make another person feel worthwhile if you secretly feel that the person is a nobody." My friends, anytime you devalue someone, you question God's creation. Each creation of God is highly valued by God--- let us mirror this value to others.
Second, look for common ground. God gave you and me two ears and one mouth for a reason. Simply put, stop jabbering and listen. Consider the following 101% Principle: Find the 1% you agree with and give it 100% of your effort. You cannot find the 1% if you do not employ the power of listening.
Next, seek first to understand and then to be understood. As believers, we are quick to give "answers" without first understanding the heart of the question. Nobody likes a know it all--- so stop trying to impress! Relax, take a deep breath and rid yourself of the expectation to answer all the questions. Begin with understanding and discovering the gifts and abilities of people. Applaud and affirm them--- who doesn't need a lifelong cheerleader?
Finally, to handle yourself...use your head...to handle others...use your heart. Consider the following:
Whose Point of View?
When the other fellow takes a long time, he's slow.
When I take a long time, I'm thorough. When the other fellow doesn't do it, he's lazy.
But when I don't do it, I'm busy.
When the other fellow does something without being told, he's overstepping his bounds.
But when I do it, that's initiative.
When the other fellow overlooks a rule of etiquette, he's rude.
But when I skip a few rules, I'm original. When the other fellow pleases the boss, he's an apple polisher.
But when I please the boss, that's cooperation.
When the other fellow gets ahead, he's getting the breaks.
But when I manage to get ahead, that's just the reward of hard work.
Relational Christianity is all about connecting with people. Pray to God for the wisdom and ability to build His kingdom by employing these principles in reaching your oikos.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Repentance is a gift!
" This process of perceiving and coming into agreement with God's perspective is called repentance. Most of us usually associate this word with being sorry for our sin, and this is appropriate. Scripture tells us that godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:10). But being sorry is not repenting. We repent when our sorrow over sin leads us to the place where we receive power from God to change the way we think. We may all be able to change what we think about, but only God can give us a new perspective on reality. In particular, only God can build a paradigm in our thinking in which we live for and from a relationship with Him instead of going through religious motions and being content simply to know about Him.
This is why Jesus began His ministry with the declaration, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2). Christ came to Earth as the culmination and explicit revelation of God's pursuit of mankind. But without receiving the gift of repentance, the very people He preached to, healed, and died for remained blind to this revelation. Through His very declaration He made the gift of repentance available to all who would listen. This is the nature of all of God's commands. He spoke the universe into existence, and when He speaks to us, grace is released in the same way to enable us to accomplish what He has said. Our job is to appropriate that grace through trusting what He has said and stepping out in radical obedience to it."
Bill Johnson - "Face To Face With God"
This is why Jesus began His ministry with the declaration, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2). Christ came to Earth as the culmination and explicit revelation of God's pursuit of mankind. But without receiving the gift of repentance, the very people He preached to, healed, and died for remained blind to this revelation. Through His very declaration He made the gift of repentance available to all who would listen. This is the nature of all of God's commands. He spoke the universe into existence, and when He speaks to us, grace is released in the same way to enable us to accomplish what He has said. Our job is to appropriate that grace through trusting what He has said and stepping out in radical obedience to it."
Bill Johnson - "Face To Face With God"
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Before they call, I will answer
This is a story written by a doctor who worked in Africa.
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities.
Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates)..
'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles.
They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.'
The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough,mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'
As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this.
Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.
Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.
Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?
I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.
I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.
Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'
Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'
'Of course,' I replied!
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'
'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities.
Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates)..
'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles.
They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.'
The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough,mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'
As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this.
Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.
Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.
Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?
I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.
I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.
Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'
Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'
'Of course,' I replied!
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'
'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Jesus' prayer for us!
John 17 (The Message)
Jesus' Prayer for His Followers
1-5 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said:
Father, it's time.
Display the bright splendor of your Son
So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor.
You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
I glorified you on earth
By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do.
And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor,
The very splendor I had in your presence
Before there was a world.
6-12I spelled out your character in detail
To the men and women you gave me.
They were yours in the first place;
Then you gave them to me,
And they have now done what you said.
They know now, beyond the shadow of a doubt,
That everything you gave me is firsthand from you,
For the message you gave me, I gave them;
And they took it, and were convinced
That I came from you.
They believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I'm not praying for the God-rejecting world
But for those you gave me,
For they are yours by right.
Everything mine is yours, and yours mine,
And my life is on display in them.
For I'm no longer going to be visible in the world;
They'll continue in the world
While I return to you.
Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life
That you conferred as a gift through me,
So they can be one heart and mind
As we are one heart and mind.
As long as I was with them, I guarded them
In the pursuit of the life you gave through me;
I even posted a night watch.
And not one of them got away,
Except for the rebel bent on destruction
(the exception that proved the rule of Scripture).
13-19Now I'm returning to you.
I'm saying these things in the world's hearing
So my people can experience
My joy completed in them.
I gave them your word;
The godless world hated them because of it,
Because they didn't join the world's ways,
Just as I didn't join the world's ways.
I'm not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;
Your word is consecrating truth.
In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world,
I give them a mission in the world.
I'm consecrating myself for their sakes
So they'll be truth-consecrated in their mission.
20-23I'm praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.
Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me.
24-26Father, I want those you gave me
To be with me, right where I am,
So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me,
Having loved me
Long before there ever was a world.
Righteous Father, the world has never known you,
But I have known you, and these disciples know
That you sent me on this mission.
I have made your very being known to them—
Who you are and what you do—
And continue to make it known,
So that your love for me
Might be in them
Exactly as I am in them.
Jesus' Prayer for His Followers
1-5 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said:
Father, it's time.
Display the bright splendor of your Son
So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor.
You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
I glorified you on earth
By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do.
And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor,
The very splendor I had in your presence
Before there was a world.
6-12I spelled out your character in detail
To the men and women you gave me.
They were yours in the first place;
Then you gave them to me,
And they have now done what you said.
They know now, beyond the shadow of a doubt,
That everything you gave me is firsthand from you,
For the message you gave me, I gave them;
And they took it, and were convinced
That I came from you.
They believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I'm not praying for the God-rejecting world
But for those you gave me,
For they are yours by right.
Everything mine is yours, and yours mine,
And my life is on display in them.
For I'm no longer going to be visible in the world;
They'll continue in the world
While I return to you.
Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life
That you conferred as a gift through me,
So they can be one heart and mind
As we are one heart and mind.
As long as I was with them, I guarded them
In the pursuit of the life you gave through me;
I even posted a night watch.
And not one of them got away,
Except for the rebel bent on destruction
(the exception that proved the rule of Scripture).
13-19Now I'm returning to you.
I'm saying these things in the world's hearing
So my people can experience
My joy completed in them.
I gave them your word;
The godless world hated them because of it,
Because they didn't join the world's ways,
Just as I didn't join the world's ways.
I'm not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;
Your word is consecrating truth.
In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world,
I give them a mission in the world.
I'm consecrating myself for their sakes
So they'll be truth-consecrated in their mission.
20-23I'm praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.
Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me.
24-26Father, I want those you gave me
To be with me, right where I am,
So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me,
Having loved me
Long before there ever was a world.
Righteous Father, the world has never known you,
But I have known you, and these disciples know
That you sent me on this mission.
I have made your very being known to them—
Who you are and what you do—
And continue to make it known,
So that your love for me
Might be in them
Exactly as I am in them.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Humble yourself before God
Humble yourself before your God.
We often talk about whether we can trust God, but our concluding question is, Can God trust us? Can He trust us with power, insight, and influence as He did Daniel? Or will our pride get in the way?
C.S. Lewis wrote, "There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine they are guilty of themselves ...it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind."
We can't ignore it; we have to deal with it. Our minds are pre-set on pride.
Daniel 10:12
"Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them."
Daniel "set his mind...to humble himself before his God." Every day, Beloved, we've got to wake up, drop to our knees, and push the reset button on our pride-prone minds and program them for humility. God wants to trust us. Can He?
- Beth Moore, Daniel
We often talk about whether we can trust God, but our concluding question is, Can God trust us? Can He trust us with power, insight, and influence as He did Daniel? Or will our pride get in the way?
C.S. Lewis wrote, "There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine they are guilty of themselves ...it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind."
We can't ignore it; we have to deal with it. Our minds are pre-set on pride.
Daniel 10:12
"Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them."
Daniel "set his mind...to humble himself before his God." Every day, Beloved, we've got to wake up, drop to our knees, and push the reset button on our pride-prone minds and program them for humility. God wants to trust us. Can He?
- Beth Moore, Daniel
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