1Peter 3:15, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope in you, with meekness and fear;
This weekend the family and I spent some time in a local bookstore and I picked up a copy of John Piper's book "Don't waste your life". Since then we have all been fighting over who's going to read it first... Nick won (He's better with the light saber). In this book there was a powerful message from Dr. Piper where he submits this thought for us to consider; "Is the reason that the world does not ask us this question today because they don't see this hope within us?" "Do they look at us and see someone fighting for the same things they are?"
How are we different? Are we living in such a way that the world would look at us and say; "How can you be so joyful in this situation?" "Why are you taking that kind of risk, do you ever plan to retire, what about your kids, don't you want them to go to college, what's wrong with you?" This question has come up often as we have been on this adoption journey. We have never been more helpless in any situation during our 20 year marriage, nearly everything has gone wrong that could have, war, extortion, corruption, delay, incompetence, etc... but all of this has been intermingled with occasional bright strands of hope. He has developed in us a maturity of faith that could be gained no other way, which brings me to another question. What is our goal anyway... His glory or our satisfaction? If it is His Glory then shouldn't we leave the process and the results entirely up to Him?
What's your situation? Would people ask you what's the reason for the hope within you? Are they seeing your radical brightness in the face of unrelenting circumstances? Are you living for the same things the world is?
Regardless of the outcome I would have chosen no other path! Read the attached ( http://www.aimint.org/usa/heritage.html ) story of Peter Cameron Scott, the founder of "Africa Inland Mission". Called to the mission field at a young age, soon after getting there he was flattened by malaria and sent home. When he got well he went back and this time he took his younger brother. His brother died soon after his arrival. He dug a hole and buried him and how does God respond? He flattens him with malaria again. He goes back to England and visits the grave of Dr. Livingstone and reads the words written there, the last of which were, "Other Sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice (John 10:16)" He went back, and today untold thousands call Him saviour as a result of this dying seed.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Are You Watching?
"Sinners are not, as a general rule, punished here. Their sentence is reserved until the dy of judgment. Some people regard every accident as a judgment, but we do not agree with them at all, else should we have frequently to condemn the innocent. This is not the time of judgment. Judgment is yet to come." Charles Spurgeon
Matthew 24:37-39 - But as the days of Noah, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as they were in the days before the flood: eating. and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah went into the ark - and they did not know until the flood came and took all away - so also will the coming of the Son of man."
"They were sensual and worldy; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. It is not said, They were killing and stealing, and whoring and swearing (these were indeed the horrid crimes of some of the worst of them; the earth was full of violence); but they were all of them, except Noah, over head and ears in the world, and regardless of the word of God, and this ruined them. Note, Universal neglect of religion (True Religion) is a more dangerous symptom to any people than particular instances here and there of daring irreligion. Eating and drinking are necessary to the preservation of man's life; marrying and giving in marriage are necessary to the preservation of mankind; but These lawful things undo us, unlawfully managed. - They were eating and drinking when they should have been repenting and praying; when God, by the ministry of Noah, called to weeping and mourning, then joy and gladness. This was to them, as it was to Israel afterwards, the unpardonable sin, especially because it was in defiance of those warnings by which they should have been awakened. "Let us Eat and Drink, for tomorrow we die, if it must be a short life, let it be a merry one." The apostle James speaks of this as the general practice of the wealthy Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem; when they should have been weeping for the miseries that were coming upon them, they were living in pleasure, and nourishing their heart as in a day of slaughter, Jam. 5:1,5. - Note, What we know of the things that belong to our everlasting peace, if we do not mix faith with it, and improve it, is all one as if we did not know it at all. Their not knowing is joined with their eating and drinking, and marrying. Note, the reason why people are so eager in the pursuit, and so entangled in the pleasures of this world, is, because they do not know, and believe, and consider, the eternity which they are upon the brink of. - They were so taken up with things seen and present, that they had neither time nor heart to mind the things not seen as yet, which they were warned of. - Those who will not know by Faith, shall be made to know by feeling, the wrath of God revealed from heaven against their ungodliness and unrighteousness. Judgments are most terrible and amazing to the secure, and those that have made a jest of them." Matthew Henry
Matthew 24:37-39 - But as the days of Noah, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as they were in the days before the flood: eating. and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah went into the ark - and they did not know until the flood came and took all away - so also will the coming of the Son of man."
"They were sensual and worldy; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. It is not said, They were killing and stealing, and whoring and swearing (these were indeed the horrid crimes of some of the worst of them; the earth was full of violence); but they were all of them, except Noah, over head and ears in the world, and regardless of the word of God, and this ruined them. Note, Universal neglect of religion (True Religion) is a more dangerous symptom to any people than particular instances here and there of daring irreligion. Eating and drinking are necessary to the preservation of man's life; marrying and giving in marriage are necessary to the preservation of mankind; but These lawful things undo us, unlawfully managed. - They were eating and drinking when they should have been repenting and praying; when God, by the ministry of Noah, called to weeping and mourning, then joy and gladness. This was to them, as it was to Israel afterwards, the unpardonable sin, especially because it was in defiance of those warnings by which they should have been awakened. "Let us Eat and Drink, for tomorrow we die, if it must be a short life, let it be a merry one." The apostle James speaks of this as the general practice of the wealthy Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem; when they should have been weeping for the miseries that were coming upon them, they were living in pleasure, and nourishing their heart as in a day of slaughter, Jam. 5:1,5. - Note, What we know of the things that belong to our everlasting peace, if we do not mix faith with it, and improve it, is all one as if we did not know it at all. Their not knowing is joined with their eating and drinking, and marrying. Note, the reason why people are so eager in the pursuit, and so entangled in the pleasures of this world, is, because they do not know, and believe, and consider, the eternity which they are upon the brink of. - They were so taken up with things seen and present, that they had neither time nor heart to mind the things not seen as yet, which they were warned of. - Those who will not know by Faith, shall be made to know by feeling, the wrath of God revealed from heaven against their ungodliness and unrighteousness. Judgments are most terrible and amazing to the secure, and those that have made a jest of them." Matthew Henry
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Live Feed 03/23/2009
All,
Praise God for a great study last night! I think we finally worked through the bugs. The Picture quality was much better and the sound gets much better about halfway through. Hopefully, we will start next week with all of these issues resolved. We are still missing a few people due to sickness and other happenings. Please keep Tim's daughter in your prayers and Pastor Dave and his wife as they will be traveling this week. I am looking forward to next week and hope to see everyone there.
David
Praise God for a great study last night! I think we finally worked through the bugs. The Picture quality was much better and the sound gets much better about halfway through. Hopefully, we will start next week with all of these issues resolved. We are still missing a few people due to sickness and other happenings. Please keep Tim's daughter in your prayers and Pastor Dave and his wife as they will be traveling this week. I am looking forward to next week and hope to see everyone there.
David
Thursday, March 19, 2009
YOUR CROSS
Matthew 16:24-26 - "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Christian, consider the words of Christ above. If you are a Child of God and are following after Christ, you will have a Cross to bear. We each have our own Cross if we belong to Christ. Some of us may struggle under a sickness. Others a debt. Some are persecuted most violently for the faith. Others may suffer under the load of a partner that fights against your sanctification. Be of good cheer and do not murmer. God has divinely placed these things in our lives to conform us to the image of Christ. If that is our goal and we seek above all else Christ and his Kingdom then look apon your cross and see the Loving Hand of God himself. Oh, how the Martyrs embraced the Crosses, Stakes and Fagots.
Consider the words from this old Hymn: "Must I be carried to the skiesOn flowery beds of ease,While others fought to win the prize,And sailed through bloody seas."
Verses from II Corinthians: 1:5,6,7- "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for you consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." 4:8-10 "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but no forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."
This is no easy road we are on and we will one day look back on these minor trials and praise God for the Grace we received from them. May he be glorified in our lives! Keep your chins up and eyes on Christ and be of good Cheer lest others see and think we serve a hard master.
Christian, consider the words of Christ above. If you are a Child of God and are following after Christ, you will have a Cross to bear. We each have our own Cross if we belong to Christ. Some of us may struggle under a sickness. Others a debt. Some are persecuted most violently for the faith. Others may suffer under the load of a partner that fights against your sanctification. Be of good cheer and do not murmer. God has divinely placed these things in our lives to conform us to the image of Christ. If that is our goal and we seek above all else Christ and his Kingdom then look apon your cross and see the Loving Hand of God himself. Oh, how the Martyrs embraced the Crosses, Stakes and Fagots.
Consider the words from this old Hymn: "Must I be carried to the skiesOn flowery beds of ease,While others fought to win the prize,And sailed through bloody seas."
Verses from II Corinthians: 1:5,6,7- "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for you consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." 4:8-10 "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but no forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."
This is no easy road we are on and we will one day look back on these minor trials and praise God for the Grace we received from them. May he be glorified in our lives! Keep your chins up and eyes on Christ and be of good Cheer lest others see and think we serve a hard master.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Monday, March 16,2009 Live Feed
All,
I am very sorry to inform everyone that this weeks study will be canceled. Many of our members have come down with the bug that is going around. We are however, planning on meeting sometime this week to discuss or goals and purposes for the live feed. We will be back next Monday to pick up where we left off, Lord willing.
Hebrews 13:13 - Therefore, let us go to him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For we do not have here a continuing city, but we seek a city coming.
I am very sorry to inform everyone that this weeks study will be canceled. Many of our members have come down with the bug that is going around. We are however, planning on meeting sometime this week to discuss or goals and purposes for the live feed. We will be back next Monday to pick up where we left off, Lord willing.
Hebrews 13:13 - Therefore, let us go to him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For we do not have here a continuing city, but we seek a city coming.
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