Time With God
A devotional trip through the Bible with a caring community to support, love and care for each other... while spending Time With God. If you would like our daily email version of this podcast send me a note to info@pinegrovecommunitychurch.com
TWG - May 31, 2008 - NOTICE - I'M HAVING UPLOAD PROBLEMS
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THE PODCAST SERVICE IS HAVING UPLOAD PROBLEMS... FOR NOW I AM UNABLE TO UPLOAD NEW EPISODES... HANG ON, I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY! Rumor is that this site is going defunct! ouch! Pray that it is not. I'll keep trying to find out why... in the meantime why not go to http://www.pinegrovecommunitychurch.com/timewithgod.html and soon I'll begin uploading them there for you... sorry!
TWG - May 31, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 14; Matthew 24:26-51
Today is May 31, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a covenant to seek the LORD God with all our heart and with all our soul. If you seek Him, He will be found by you.
Yesterday was filled with activity. First thing in the morning I helped Bill and his crew pour concrete! It turned out great! Thanks to sons Dave & Todd, his friend Terry, John, Carl, Helen and Ryland! It looks beautiful. Jayn stopped in to take some pictures. Susan came in to do the bulletin. And I worked on Discovery Classes and Sunday’s message for the Grads… a message about finding their path for the rest of their lives. After work I ran to the hospital to see Don. He was knocked out and asleep. I got home around 7:30 or so, and it was lights out for me! I put a pic of the guys working concrete on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
FOR GOD – He’s the greatest person and power that has ever existed! SO LOVED! That is the greatest love anyone has ever experienced! There is no greater love than that! THE WORLD – The greatest possible number of recipients and the greatest need ever. THAT HE GAVE – The greatest and most selfless act conceivable! HIS ONE AND ONLY SON – The Greatest sacrifice. What could be greater than your own son? THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM – The greatest response. SHALL NOT PERISH – The greatest penalty and punishment. BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE – The greatest gift and blessing ever. And this is the greatest promise that you or I have ever read! Every one of us at some point in our lives is challenged with this choice: We can receive everlasting life as a wonderful gift from God, or we can perish in a Christless eternity where we will languish forever in Hell. It seems like such a no brainer… on the one hand we have Heaven! The place of eternal joy, hope and happiness. God is there and his presence fills the future with indescribable light! On the other hand we have Hell. A place of darkness, fear and pain. Abandon hope all who enter here! It is a place of eternal, solitary punishment. Anyone, when confronted by the reality of the choice has got to see the simple sense in choosing God’s love gift! There is such a stark contrast between the two that everyone has to see it. Or not. How many people have I shared the simple gospel with who have been unwilling to decide for Christ? More than I can count! What could possibly be a reasonable explanation for deciding to spend my eternity in the Lake of Fire? Perhaps they don’t like the idea of eternal joy? It’s just pie in the sky. Maybe the concept of eternal punishment is repugnant to them. They can’t imagine a God of love sending anyone there! Maybe they don’t believe that Jesus is who he said he is. He may have been a good man, but certainly not God and definitely not the Savior of mankind. Perhaps they are bothered by the concept of faith. If they can’t see it, they don’t believe it. Or they don’t want to put their faith in anything but themselves. It could be that it seems too easy. Most think that they should have to work their way to heaven, and God says it is a free gift received only by faith. It could also possibly be that they are too infected by humanities disease: sin. They don’t want it because they love their sin and don’t want to give it up. Or maybe they don’t believe God is loving at all. They are skeptics who see the suffering of the world and conclude that God could not be a God of love or he would stop all the evil of the world. Or else they just don’t believe there is a God. Whatever the reasons, none of them are good enough. None of them stand up to close scrutiny. And none of them are going to hold water at the final judgment. As for me? I surrender freely! I am thankful for the wonderful gift of Eternal Life. It is the greatest thing ever!
Dear Lord: I bow the knee to you. I want to give my greatest praise for your love gift. I can’t think of words enough to express the gratitude I feel for how you have blessed me. You are so gracious and I am so blessed. I pray that everyone who hears of your great love, mercy and grace would want it too!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:17 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Friday, May 30, 2008TWG - May 30, 2008
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TWG - May 30, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 13; Psalm 24; Matthew 24:1-25
Today is May 30, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a complete turn of events, it is a 180 degree turn around. God is changing us and turning us around as a community. This is not business as usual, this is transforming, this is spiritual, this is essential.
Life comes with interruptions and speed bumps. Yesterday one of those interruptions happened. I was working like a dog to catch up and making great progress when the phone rang! Who should be on the other end but Doris. Don Z is in the hospital with what appears to be a heart attack. Precious people! I dropped what I was doing and headed for the ER. I spoke with Doris for a while and met her daughter Dietrice. Then she and I went in to see Don. He looks pretty good for the shape he’s in. She told him she loved him and he shed a tear even though he is sedated. I prayed with them, and went on my way. Pray for the family! I did get the graduation Power Point finished. But I still have much work to do on Discovery Class and Sunday’s message for Graduates. I did post a new radio podcast to the internet. After work we did music practice and had a productive growing time. Then I ran and played Tennis with Phil and Shaphen and Craig. It was a long tough game. But fun. Then it was home to bed. Dave blocked the camera successfully once, but I got him on the second try! So Dave… I know you’ll have a hissy fit, but sometimes the camera guy has got to do what he’s got to do! I put you on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
If you believe, then you shall receive eternal life! That’s the promise. “Faith” is the key that opens heavens door. There are a number of things people mistake for saving faith. Some people think that if they love God, that will be enough. Love is a good start, but it won’t take you all the way. I love money! (for the sake of this illustration) But I don’t have much of it! If love = faith, I would be a millionaire! I also love ___________ (put in the name of your favorite movie star!) But I don’t know them, and I couldn’t even get a date on mere love… maybe a restraining order for stalking, but not much chance of a long term relationship here! Love does not equal saving faith. Love is a good beginning, but more is needed. Some people think that since they pray to God that will be enough. But most prayers stop short of saving faith. If prayer is like communication, such as requests, then think of it like this: I ask God for a lot of stuff… please make me healthy, wealthy (or at least solvent) and wise. What if a neighbor kid walked into your house and said, “hey daddyo, hey big mamma, I need 20 bucks for gas to go the prom. Can I have my allowance a week early?” You might say, “sonny, you forgot to knock, this is not your house, I am not your sugar daddy and if you want your allowance go home and talk to your own parents!” Do you get the idea. Requests only work if we are already related! Prayer is a good start! But asking for stuff or even talking to God is not the same thing as being related to Him! I know… next you are going to tell me, “but I believe in God!” Now we are getting somewhere! I believe in God too! And I believe in YOU! And I love you. And I even have a few requests to ask of you. But does that mean that I know you? Does the fact that I believe in you mean that I am your child or even a shirt tail relative? Not really. I may not even know you! What often passes for faith is the mistaken idea that if I believe there is a God and I tell Him that I believe He is there somewhere, listening to my prayers, that’s good enough. Read the fine print. This verse tells us that we have to believe in HIS SON JESUS! “He gave his only SON that whoever believes in HIM… has eternal life.” The SON is the way to the FATHER. Here is what saving faith is all about: “Dear Jesus I believe YOU are the Almighty savior! I believe you died to pay the price for my sins! Please save me and make me your child!” Now we are talking saving faith. A faith that brings us into a loving relationship with God and gives eternal life! That’s the only prayer that counts.
Dear Father: I do believe in your son Jesus. I believe He is God almighty come in the flesh. I do believe in His Name: Jesus – The Savior! I know He died for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I do need a savior. I ask Jesus to give me eternal life! Thank you Lord for being willing to adopt me into your family. I am so very blessed! Thank God for Jesus!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:56 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Thursday, May 29, 2008TWG - May 29, 2008
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TWG - May 29, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 12: 31-51; Psalm 23; Matthew 23: 13-39
Today is May 29, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day
I think yesterday has to go into the record books as the busiest day of my life! The phone was glued to my ear from 8:30 till about 2:30. I kid you not! I don’t think I got to put it down at all! Every phone call was either interrupted by “call waiting” or just as I ended it, I got another one! I think I need to have the doctor check to see if I have Phone Ear! John called from Sacramento. We had a good long talk. Marcia called about the Worship page on the net. Phil from KGRV called to invite me to tennis. Beverly from Hermiston called to say her daughter Marjorie Harris had just died and we had a long talk about the memorial service this Sat at 4:30. Pastor Mike Miller called to talk about the service. Lamont W called to talk about the Glide 4th of July celebration. Do you get the idea? There is more! There was Lorraine, a salesman from HT Deopot, Karen, Gerald, and a few phone calls I missed! Hey, but that’s what the ministry is about sometimes! God is in control! I got an email from Daniel C who passed one of my TWG devotionals on about evolution to an agnostic relative and I got some fan mail back. She wasn’t happy about the satire I did on Evolutionists. Pray for her. She needs the Lord! Last night when I got home Chris, the son of a long time friend spent the night on the way to a job in LA. He’s a Christian going into the movie making business! Keep him in prayer! I put a picture of Dave’s hand blocking the camera on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out. I don’t think Dave wanted his picture taken!
This week’s theme verse is John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
God gave his only begotten son! Now that is love! To sacrifice the one you love the most is certainly the highest measure of love! God gave His dear son! His only son! He was given to pay the ultimate price to purchase our salvation! Just who is this Jesus? The NIV says that he is “His one and only Son.” The NKJV says he is “His only begotten Son.” Both capture the essence of His identity. Years ago it was written in The Council of Chalcedon that “He was begotten not made.” That is an important distinction. Jesus is the uncreated God, but the Father said to Him, “you are my son, today I have begotten you!” The Bible teaches that Jesus and the Father “are one.” They are closer than Siamese twins! They are one in nature and in essence. Neither had a beginning and will have no end. They are both eternal and all powerful. One is the exact image of the other in every way. If you saw them together under the right circumstances, you could not distinguish one from the other. They have the same power, character and nature. If you hurt the one, the other feels the pain. If you pray to the one, the other hears the prayer as well. There is only ONE God. Yet, for all their oneness they are separate persons. The Father reveals Himself to us in one form, and the Son in yet another. No man has seen the Father and lived to tell about it. But whoever has seen the Son has seen the Father. About the best we can do in human terms is to say that in Eternity Past the Father and Son decided on the plan of the ages. The Son was the Son from all eternity. The Son is the one who appears in human form in the old testament to the Patriarchs. In theological terms we call these Theophanies. Yet in our human way of thinking the Son was begotten at the moment of conception in the virgin birth. To be begotten is not the same as being created. In creation, the first thing, matter, was made from nothing! “Ex nihilo” as we say. But the Son was conceived from the virgin’s womb implanted by the Father because the Holy Spirit “overshadowed” her. Man begets man, cat begets cat, seal begets seal… every one of us begets after our own kind and God begets God! Amazing! Incomprehensible! The God / Man was given to pay the price for my sin. The Eternal God! The All Powerful God! No wonder we call it Love!
Dear Jesus, thank you for coming in the form of a man to love me and save me! Dear Father. Thank you for sending your dear Son Jesus. Dear Holy Spirit, Thank you that in your power you caused the virgin to conceive! I know that you love me because of this ultimate love gift of yourself. I am amazed that there could possibly be that much love for a sinner like me! Thank You!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:18 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Wednesday, May 28, 2008TWG - May 28, 2008
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TWG - May 28, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 12:1-30; Psalm 22; Matthew 23:1-12
Today is May 28, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. You are part of a devotional community where we put Christ first and our commitment is to spend time with each other and Time with God every day.
Must be the change in weather, because I have no idea what to blame for how tired I am this morning. Plenty of sleep, not much exercise, lots of good food… it sounds like a winning combo. Yesterday I paid a few bills and worked on our radio broadcast. Whitney Harsh called about David’s potential upcoming concert in August. Bill was here putting the finishing touches on the slab. We will be pouring tomorrow at 7 AM. Want to help? Come on out. Ken buzzed by literally… he was mowing the front lawn. Thanks Ken! I put a picture of ken on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out. Phil from KGRV called to see if I wanted to play tennis. Our schedules did not match. Later I came back for “12” our men’s meeting. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and prayer. It is great to see God answering prayers!
This week’s theme verse is John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
God so loved that he gave… That is a great description of love: “Love gives.” When you love someone, you want to give your best to them. Much of what passes for love on this planet is nothing more than selfishness or lust. Men are from Mars. They are easy to diagnose. Most men have trouble with lust. They see a beautiful bikini and whooo babe! I am in love (lust)! The chief characteristic of Martians is that they respond to what they see through the eye gate. Like Samson who “saw a beautiful Philistine woman and said ‘get her for me!” This kind of experience is lust plain and simple. It is getting what makes me feel good, and it is not about giving. Women are from Venus or so I’m told. Most women want long talks, long walks and relationships. They want someone to listen to them. They want someone to talk to. They want someone to sweep them off their feet and tell them how beautiful, sweet and intelligent they are (am I exaggerating? Let me know). While a bit more subtle than their Martian counterparts, Venusians are still looking to get what makes them feel good. And if you broke it down to one honest word, it would be “selfishness.” This kind of love is about getting. But God so loved that he gave. Now that’s love. We so often love for what we can get in return, or if we are a bit more mature, we love knowing we will get warm fuzzys in return. We are born with an innate need to be loved and so we yearn for it. Without love we become bitter and angry. So we live by the philosophy “I’ll scratch your back so that you will scratch mine!” But what did God expect to get in return? Did he need our love? What would God be like without our love? He would still be God, all loving. God gave because he focused all his love on us regardless of how we were going to respond. His love was not to stroke his ego or to get a warm fuzzy feeling from it. In fact His love was like the cowboys love for manure. It isn’t that he loves it, it’s just that after being thrown from that horse he happened to land in it, and so he makes the best of a bad situation. “Cow pies don’t smell that bad once you get used to them!” Seriously! We are about as appealing to God as manure. Our sin is that unpleasant. We might as well just say it, “For God so loved a disgusting, evil, sinful, vile, smelly, pathetic, depraved, sick world that he was willing to wade through the manure of this life to save us! That’s love. I don’t mean to be selfish, but I think I’d like some of that!
Dear Lord. Thank you for your great love for me. I don’t deserve it. I really need it. I need your saving grace. I also need to learn to love like you loved. I see that most of my love is nothing more than selfishness. Please forgive me and help me to begin thinking of the needs of others. I have cleverly disguised my actions to hide my selfishness and make others think that I love them. I want to really become like you lord. Please fill me with your love! Amen.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:16 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Tuesday, May 27, 2008TWG - May 27, 2008
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TWG - May 27, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 11; Psalm 21; Matthew 22:23-49
Today is May 27, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. This is your invitation to take one step forward every day in your relationship with Christ. We invite you to do something unbelievably radical. We invite you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus
Happy Memorial Day… so what did you do to honor those who served our country and gave their lives so that we could experience liberty? We honored all who served in the Military on Sunday… they deserve our applause. Yesterday Susan and I worked most of the day on a rental. I put new decking on one deck while she painted the other. Evie dropped the kids off for a while. Then we went over the Kyle and Marcia’s for a BBQ. It was a little cold outside so eventually we all migrated into the living room where the ladies laughed obnoxiously and the men talked while we watched basketball. Kyle gave me some nice hand rail and stair jacks which will work perfectly on the deck I am building! What a blessing! So now I have more work to do. I need to pick them up and tear them apart. I put a darling picture of Susan and her dog Tilly on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
For God so loved the world. I find that statement amazing. I could understand it if it read, God so loved the nice people of the world, or God so loved the world of believers (which by the way Calvinists say this really means), but that is not what it says. The world consistently is referred to as A) the world system – a world view and way of living which is opposed to God, and B) all the people in the world, good, bad and ugly, all of whom begin as lost sinners destined for hell. As to the first we are told that “we are in the world, but not of the world.” And as to the second we are told that “the whole world lies in the lap (or under the control of) the evil one.” God loves the world of unbelievers! That’s more than I can say for most Christians! Most of us, if honest have to say, “and I’m trying!” It’s not easy to love the repulsive. How do you love rapists, murderers, terrorists or even people of a different (and dangerous) political persuasion? It’s a little easier if you don’t know them. But when it gets personal, then it becomes challenging. What if he raped your daughter? What if that homosexual taught at your school? What if they killed your best friend? What if they flew airplanes into your country’s Twin Towers? What if they hate you? And that’s what makes it tough for God; nothing is impersonal to Him. He keeps tabs on all 6.7 billion people on the planet every second of every day. He not only sees just how bad they act, he can hear every vile thought every one of us think. He knows what we are like! And every single sin is as offensive and hurtful to God as porcupine quills are to an over inquisitive dog! Every day a billion billion barbed “sin quills” are stuck into the heart of God. And yet, while we were still sinners… he loved us, he sent his son, he died for us! Some people are appalled that God would send anyone to hell! I’m amazed that God would let anyone into heaven, leastwise yours truly! Because while I can’t see the blackness of any other persons heart, I can see mine. I am confronted with my sins daily and I am constantly amazed that Jesus loves me, and that he loves me enough to save me. And believe me, I need saving! And so do you. I am so glad that Jesus loves me!
Dear Jesus: Thank you for loving me. I know who I am. I try so hard to make other people think that I am a nice guy, but you know what I am really like underneath. What I want is transformation! What I need is your love to change my heart. I am truly grateful that you saved a wretch like me. How can I say thanks for all the things you have done for me! I can’t repay them ever! All I can do is surrender and say I love you too!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:21 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Monday, May 26, 2008TWG - May 26, 2008
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TWG - May 26, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 10; Psalm 20; Matthew 22:1-22
Today is May 26, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. Together we are strong. As we walk though the word together we help each other grow.
I don’t know about you, but I really love being around God’s people in God’s house on Sunday. We have such good times. There just isn’t anything better. Sunday’s message on prayer was a good one for all of us. We need to be people of prayer! We don’t pray enough. We need to get into God’s presence and experience a real live relationship with God! Due to a mix up, I did discovery class in the sanctuary with the whole group and that was a lot of fun… especially my diagram of the community, complete with cartoon style cars that drove up and down the streets. Dave was laughing so hard he almost fell out of his pew! After church a group of us went to Arby’s and had a great time of fellowship, and as a bonus we got to fix the ills of the education system! You know how that goes… pick any subject and we all are opinionated about it and we know just how to fix it… really! Saturday, John, Dana, Susan and I were standing around admiring this poster on a car parked at Karens: It said Gas Prices: Regular – Arm, Plus – Leg, Premium – First Born! So John and I just had to get pictures of it. I put it on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out. While we were there, the owner, a big guy walks out and says “What are you guys doing with my van!” (oops we got caught slashing tires- not really) any way once he figured out that we were admiring the poster he said that his wife, who just got back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan got it from her dad, we all went in and shook her hand and thanked her for serving us and her country! After all… it is Memorial Day Weekend… what could be more appropriate!
This week’s theme verse is John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
For God so loved the world. It only makes sense that sooner or later we would be thinking about this verse. It is the most loved verse in the entire Bible. Why? Love is attractive. We all want to be loved. We crave the love and approval of our parents. We chase the love of our dreams. But some of us have had parents who have not given us love and it hurts! Many of us have been rejected by a suitor. We all have these idealistic dreams of what it would feel like to really be loved. We are obsessed with love! And once we have captured the love of our dreams, so many people find out that love is not all it’s cut out to be. People disappoint! And they don’t’ just let us down… often, people are deliberately cruel and unkind… the people we love! We have been vulnerable and we have loved and in return, we were wounded deeply. Our dreams of being really loved have been shattered and broken, scattered across the floor like a fragile vase. Let me let you in on a secret… God loves you, really loves you. If you were the only one in the world, God would still have sent His Son Jesus to die for your sins so you could be saved. His is the only love in the world that will not disappoint. God is never cruel and never unkind. He isn’t moody and doesn’t lash out in anger. He never says cutting words that he later regrets. He is always steady, loving and dependable. If we come to Him He will never reject us, never! Take a moment to close your eyes and feel his love. Right now (and anytime!) he’ll wrap his loving arms around you and never let you go. If you listen closely you can hear him whisper, “I love you with an everlasting love! I want to draw you to myself and hold you tight!” Why is this the favorite verse in the Bible? Because we have an innate desire to be loved. And once we realize that God has an innate desire to love us with a perfect love we are magnetically drawn to Him. God loves you! Believe it!
Dear Loving God. Thank you for loving me! Especially since I am so unlovable! I don’t know how you could know me through and through and yet love me any way. For that I am grateful. For that reason, I bow before you in love and gratitude and immerse myself in your love… I want your love to surround me and hold me tight. Thank you Jesus! I love you too!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:05 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Saturday, May 24, 2008TWG - May 24, 2008
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TWG - May 24, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 9; Psalm 19; Matthew 21: 23-46
Today is May 24, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a covenant to seek the LORD God with all our heart and with all our soul. If you seek Him, He will be found by you.
Well, I made it through yesterday all in one piece. Sort of. I got the Discovery Class finished. Only one week after this. I worked most of the day on Sunday’s message called “Needed: A Praying Church.” One of high priorities must be prayer. God answers prayer, so we need to be praying. Particularly about those who don’t know Christ. It ought to be a burden on our heart. Bill and Helen stopped in. Bill compacted the form area in preparation for pouring concrete. Susan came in to do the bulletin and clean the church. Ken stopped in to give me the softball schedule. Our team got pounded on Thursday… 20 to 2. I think they must need prayer. Last night, Shaphen and I had to cancel tennis… and Susan and I spent a quiet night at home. I put a picture of our cat on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com because I didn’t have any other pictures to put up there. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:21-23. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Can you imagine the ruckus if a group of college professors were caught on tape worshiping idols? The paparazzi would have a heyday with that. “Flash, Flash, Flash” (cameras are rolling) and it’s on every news show in the world. The picture of top scientists with doctorates and years of education, bowing down prostrate before statues of reptiles or monkeys or birds is a bit far fetched isn’t it? Surely they are more enlightened than that! Yet, I have to tell you, what they are doing is not far from it. Yesterday we talked about “nature worship.” Some of them are guilty of that! But there is a more pervasive version of idolatry that has infected the world. Many educators and scientists worship at the shrine of almighty matter. They believe that dead, lifeless, inert, unresponsive matter has the power to create life itself! Wow! That’s a trick! Kind of makes you want to pray to crystals or something! Something dead can make something living? How does it do that? They believe that the mindless, unthinking, single celled organisms that matter spawned have the power (and I suppose the intelligence) to design and create plants and animals and man himself! Woah! I am getting weak knees! Let’s have a worship service and praise the mighty amoeba! These guys, called evolutionists, are ascribing “god like” characteristics to wood, stone, plants and animals. Kind of makes the belief in an almighty creator God look sane after all! These guys and gals are educated, intelligent, hard working… they claim to be wise, but what other conclusion can you come to but that they are the fools. They have scorned the power and glory of the immortal God and credited His power to rocks, slime, plants and animals. It is beyond comprehension how someone so intelligent could be so wrong. How could any intelligent person believe this stuff! I guess if you can’t stand the idea of a “Higher Power” telling you what you can or can’t do, you might just be desperate enough to try to explain him away with nonsense. If you’re going to tell a lie, tell a whopper! And if you tell it long enough and loud enough, even you will eventually believe it. But that don’t make it so. Why would anyone ever consider trading the Living God for a Dead Idol? I don’t know maybe they are fools!
Dear Living God. I will bow down and worship you! You are the creator. You have life. I humble myself to you to live as you want me to. What else can I do? I owe my very existence to you. Lord, make me like yourself. You created me, you can change me. Please do so. Nothing is too difficult with you. I believe it!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:47 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Friday, May 23, 2008TWG - May 23, 2008
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TWG - May 23, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 8; Psalm 18: 25-50; Matthew 21:1-22
Today is May 23, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a complete turn of events, it is a 180 degree turn around. God is changing us and turning us around as a community. This is not business as usual, this is transforming, this is spiritual, this is essential.
Busy, busy, busy… that’s what yesterday was for me. Things are piling up, deadlines are coming right around the corner, so I was in a frenzy to get them done. I uploaded a new Radio Podcast to the internet called “The Lost Unlucky Man.” I worked further on our Graduation Power Point. It’s coming along nicely. I tried to get my Sunday Discovery Class finished… it’s close. I got the bulletin ready for Susan, and I worked on Sunday’s message called “Needed: a Praying Church” in our 1 Timothy series. At one point I needed a break, so I went out to the amphitheater and did a little weeding. As I was digging weeds on the hill, I swung the shovel at a weed and suddenly, shockingly, surprisingly, a quail came out of nowhere and flew past my head toward the creek! I almost hit the poor thing. It turns out that the mommy quail has about 8 or 10 eggs hidden in the amphitheater! I put a picture of her nest on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:21-23. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Most of us civilized folk think that worshiping wood or stone is stupid. But there is a modern version of idolatry that is prevalent and growing among the educated around the world: nature worship. It really isn’t modern at all. The ancient witches and ye olde wiccan religion has long worshipped nature. The American Indian also has a mystical faith in Mother Nature. Nature religions actually believe in the personality of the earth and ascribe human, even godlike characteristics to it. “The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth,” is a common mantra. One of the fundamental problems with many environmental groups is that they believe in the personality of nature… thus we need to quit managing it and let nature heal itself. We need to allow everything to go back to its “natural state.” One big problem… Nature doesn’t work that way! Sorry! The Christian view is that all the universe is under the curse and requires our care… And one of the most proven laws of the universe is that everything, left to itself will deteriorate. God left us here to manage nature. Unmanaged woodlands soon become a tangled mess that are inhospitable to wildlife and greenery. Any time we turn truth on its head, there are serious consequences. Nature Religions would have us stop “raping” the land and set aside important land resources for the exclusive use of Mother Nature to “save our planet.” Instead of farming, ranching or logging, or even camping, they want many areas to be completely untouched and unspoiled by human hands. Some believe that we humans are a cancer to the earth that needs to be removed. We humans are the problem! If there were less of us, if we weren’t allowed to touch nature, the natural evolutionary process would go on nicely. The theology of Nature Worship is deadly. It threatens the existence of those who were “created in the image of God,” mankind! Isn’t it amazing how man, left to himself and his own ideas inevitably sows the seeds of his own destruction. Why would anyone ever consider trading the Living God for a Dead Idol? Why would anyone want to trade the living God to worship an impersonal, inhospitable, Mother Earth? I don’t know maybe they are fools!
Dear Living God. I will bow down and worship you, the invisible, immortal, almighty God. I love the beautiful trees, animals and spaces you have created, they tell me how amazing you are. Help me to hold to the truth so that we can fulfill one of our purposes here on earth… to manage your creation. Thanks for your wonderful gifts to us!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:12 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Thursday, May 22, 2008TWG - May 22, 2008
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TWG - May 22, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 7; Psalm 18:1-24; Matthew 20
Today is May 22, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day
Happy birthday to Susan. Today she is the big 50! Congratulations for making it one more year having to put up with yours truly! Yesterday I spent the day at work. I edited growing together for radio. I worked on the IFCA Convention. Bill and Mike were in front of the church most of the day forming up our new handicapped parking spots. What a great job they are doing. Soon I will need some help forming up the stage in the amphitheater. I also added some more seed to the grass in the amphitheater and did a little watering. It is beginning to look really good down there! You ought to check it out. Then I spent a bit of time working on our Graduation Power Point presentation. It is coming along nicely. After work I ran to KGRV where I spent two hours on the air with Phil on their Share-athon. That is always a lot of fun. I put a picture of a couple of firemen checking out our hydrant the other day on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:21-23. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Idolatry is foolish. Most of us civilized folk think that worshiping statues is down right stupid. What could be dumber than bowing prostrate before a piece of wood or a chunk of gold? Yet people all over the world still do it. It is more prevalent than you think. How many millions worship Buddha? That fat little man… Now there is a religion in need of some weight loss if I’ve ever seen one. The Hindus worship many idols; Shiva, Ganesha, Rama, Kali, etc. There are dozens of religions in all corners of the world that bow down before idols. And among us enlightened folk here in America, there are many Roman Catholics who pray to Mary or some other saint… if praying to a statue isn’t idol worship what is it? But they are not the only ones. The world is full of people who wear lucky charms, rabbits foots, bracelets and even crosses hoping that these charms will help them out. We’ve all seen people kiss their medallion for luck or knock on wood or some other ridiculous practice. How can a dead piece of wood answer anybody’s prayers? It can’t do anything! The Bible clearly states, “Thou shalt not make a graven image!” In Exodus 20:4-5 the NIV says, “"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” Idolatry is common. It is the typical way to worship once people turn away from the creator. I’m afraid that the world today has not advanced much beyond the superstitious idolatry of yesteryear. Let’s compare apples to apples… In the red corner weighing in at 325 pounds, chiseled to perfection in the mines of China we have the Idol, Buddha! In the blue corner spanning the endless universe, having no beginning or end, the creator of the mines in China, welcome the Eternal Living God! The Idol can not speak, can not move, can be chipped, broken or put in some dusty closet in a museum to rust away. When the living God speaks, His words create the worlds, and give life. He is all powerful and unassailable. Why would anyone ever consider trading the Living God for a Dead Idol? I don’t know maybe they are fools!
Dear Living God. I will bow down and worship you, the invisible, immortal, almighty God. Please don’t let me slip into the way of the world where I place more value on glittering gold or valuable carvings or even houses and land as more important than you. I want to worship and serve you with all my heart. Make it so today!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:04 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Wednesday, May 21, 2008TWG - May 21, 2008
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TWG - May 21, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 6; Psalm 17; Matthew 19
Today is May 21, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. You are part of a devotional community where we put Christ first and our commitment is to spend time with each other and Time with God every day.
Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity. It went by so quickly I was shocked when I looked up and the day was done. In the morning Susan and I ate at the Illihee in Glide… Really good breakfast. Then it was off to church where I began to wrap up IFCA convention issues from the day before. Soon I was showing Susan how to do Power Point. The Christian Education Committee showed up before I was ready for them. We talked about Sunday School – the need for a High School Teacher, Promotion Sunday, Graduation, David Ingram’s Scholarship and Awana… Jim gave us a challenge… he said he would donate the last $250 for Awana if we would get the other $750 raised! So here is your challenge. Please give toward our Awana program so we can take advantage of this gracious offer. Carey and Ken also showed up for our daytime men’s meeting. And after that Carl and I interviewed Carey for our Child Safety Policy. By that time, I didn’t know it yet, but the day was almost over! I worked on overhead projection screen for the IFCA convention and lined up a special speaker. I also worked on the Power Point for Graduation. Then suddenly realizing with shock that it was time to go, I ran to Stewart Park to play tennis with Shaphen. I could only play an hour, but I beat him 5 to 2. Then it was back to church for our men’s meeting with Carl, Dave and Greg. We had lots of fun. And of course when I got home I watched the finale of Idol. I put a picture of the president of the IFCA, Les Loftquist on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:21-23. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
They claim to be wise. The world is full of intelligent men and women. In some circles it is an unspoken law that you have to be smarter than everyone else. You have to have more degrees… you must have written a best selling book or two… you have to be published in professional journals… you need to be in demand as a teacher or speaker. You have to know more than your peers and above all you must “one up” everyone else… (sounds like some people never graduated from high school – at least socially). Now there is nothing wrong with knowledge. I find it fascinating how much I don’t know and will never know nor understand. I sat entranced last night while engineer Dave explained to me how much I didn’t know about the challenge car makers have in getting the most gas mileage out of a car. You have to understand RPMs, tork, gearing, tire size, weight, aerodynamics, wind resistance and more. I just asked a simple question and got a complex answer. But that’s the way of knowledge. There is so much we don’t know that we don’t know. Fortunately for me, Dave did not express the arrogance so often associated with the intelligentsia. Once a person graduates into the “elite” of his field, many develop an oversized ego and go on a power trip. They are “the authority.” They know the answers to questions you didn’t know you were supposed to ask. That gives them the right to dictate to the world what the facts are as they see them… the world according to me! And that leads to a fatal flaw. Once a person thinks he has arrived he suddenly becomes blind to the possibility that there could be errors in what he believes. Jesus called the Pharisees “blind leaders of the blind.” There is nothing more pitiful than a highly intelligent, educated and overconfident man who is unaware that his basic beliefs are in error. His “edumacation” only makes his errors harder to see and more difficult to correct. So the educated of this world often walk so far down the path of their own fallacious theories that for some there is little hope of return to reality. Heed the warning well: Don’t think yourself too smart, nor so right, nor become so entrenched in your ways that God can’t tap you on the shoulder and say, “Hey Dennis… you got it wrong!” Be teachable.
Dear Father, please fill me with Your Spirit of wisdom and understanding and knowledge. I humble myself before you, realizing how little I know and how little I really understand about the world around me, about life and about Your Kingdom. Make me an insatiable learner on a quest to know you more. I want to be a teachable person with a thirst for truth.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:59 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Tuesday, May 20, 2008TWG-May 20, 2007
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TWG - May 20, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 5; Psalm 15; Matthew 18:15-35
Today is May 20, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. This is your invitation to take one step forward every day in your relationship with Christ. We invite you to do something unbelievably radical. We invite you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus
Another beautiful summer like day is past. Yesterday I drove to the Eugene Hilton for a meeting to prepare for the IFCA pastors fellowship international conference. The meeting went from 11 to almost 3. We toured the hotel and tried to nail down every last minute detail. I am in charge of providing the sound system. Once I got back I worked out and Shaphen called to offer Susan and I a night’s stay at a 2 bedroom vacation cabin on the North Umpqua for. So here I am overlooking the beautiful North Umpqua River in Idle wild. And I’m a bit tired this morning. I’m not sure why – I think we got to bed at a reasonable hour, but my bod says no. I put a picture of the group of pastors and wives at lunch on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:21-23. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
What happens to individuals and societies that reject God? There seems to be a discernable pattern and path that leads through the swamp of arrogance in flights of fantasy that inevitably lands them in the dark ages. Arrogance always accompanies the downfall. Men actually believe they are too smart for God… “Only unenlightened backwards bumpkins believe in a Creator God.” The mantra is repeated over and over until it becomes state ideology. In place of God, we enshrine the idea of “the super race,” “the proletariat,” “secularism” Extra Terrestrials, almighty matter or gods made in the image of man or animals. Desolate philosophies and foolish theories sweep through the land and the masses bow the knee to these dark doctrines. Once that happens it is only a matter of time before the “new dark ages” descends like a swarm of locusts. The fallacious philosophy of Communism set Russia back a hundred years and in it’s intolerance and darkness executed millions of its own people. The deceptive belief in Hitler’s Aryanism sent millions to the showers to be gassed or cremated. The godless French revolution saw thousands beheaded at the guillotine. Every society that rejects God eventually descends into a very dark and deadly age. And those who claim to be religious but hijack the truth to use it for their own purposes are just as dangerous. The Roman Catholic inquisition in the middle ages spread it’s brand of darkness around the globe, burning thousands of good men and women at the stake or torturing them on the rack. The Mayans enslaved their people and practiced human sacrifice, The Assyrians skinned their enemies alive, the hordes of Islam has butchered its share of infidels, the natives in Papua New Guinea and in the jungles all around the world have steadily killed each other off… all in the name of their gods. And a new dark ages is coming soon to a city near you. We’ve been sensing the change in the wind for years. It’s an ill fated wind that blows. The only thing that can restrain this madness is the gospel of Christ. We Christians have a vital mission… we must share our faith and win people to Christ to reverse the tide… or else!
Dear Lord. You are Lord of all. You have given us life and light. I do not wish to hide my light under a bushel basket, I’m going to let it shine. Please fill me with a sense of urgency about the importance of my mission to share my faith with the world around me. Please Lord, hold back the rising tide of darkness and bring renewal to our land I pray.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 6:34 PM | MAKE A COMMENT
Monday, May 19, 2008TWG - May 19, 2008
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TWG - May 19, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 4; Psalm 14; Matthew 18
Today is May 19, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. Together we are strong. As we walk though the word together we help each other grow.
What a beautiful weekend we had. Susan’s birthday party went off so well. Thank you to one and all who participated. It was so much fun to surprise her and roast her. We had a silly little bell choir play happy birthday on the bells. Kyle did a great job of roasting Susan. The walker Jayn brought was hilarious. And the music from John and Colleen was beautiful. And I might add all those who make the pot luck work were terrific. Thanks to Evie for decorating. On Sunday I shared a message called “Miracles Happen,” and one could happen to you. Jesus is in the business of changing lives and he wants to change yours just like he did the Apostle Paul’s… Paul was the pattern for life change. Sunday night we watched a creation science video of questions and answers… some excellent answers were given! I put a picture of the grandkids swimming in the creek on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:21-23. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
One of the questions that often comes up in discussions about the existence of God is, “how can God hold the natives in Africa responsible when they have not even so much as heard the name Jesus Christ? It seems unfair to hold someone responsible for something they don’t know!” Romans 1 says that THEY DO KNOW. Everyone knows enough to respond to God in two essential ways: #1 They know enough to glorify God. #2 They know enough to give thanks to God. (1) When we look at God’s amazing work of creation, any thinking person must come away amazed at this awesome universe. It doesn’t matter if you look through a telescope or a microscope, the response is the same… awe! “Wow! God, you are an amazing and powerful creator!” That response can come from any man or woman, boy or girl no matter where they live or when they have lived. (2) With every breath be breathe, and every sunshiny day, and if we have food on the table or family or friends, we should respond with thankfulness. Even in the darkest night of life, there are always things to be thankful for. When we realize that God has given us all these things and all of creation to enjoy, we should be thankful. “Thanks, God for all the gifts you have given me.” At the very least every human being in the world should rightly respond to God in these two ways… BUT WE DON’T! Instead human beings all over the planet become futile in their thinking and their foolish heart is darkened! Instead of praising God we create gods in our own image according to our own liking. But what would happen if a native in Africa or anywhere else in the world walked out under the stars, looked up at the vast universe and praised the creator for his power and then thanked God for his gracious provision? What then? Simple. If you take the first step toward God, he’ll make the rest of the trip. Is God all powerful? Yes. Then God will find a way for that individual who is seeking him with all his heart to find him. There are no excuses. God will do it if we do it. That is the bottom line. If you seek him, he will be found by you. The problem is not that we don’t have enough light, it’s that we don’t have enough desire!
Dear Father… I am seeking you. I want to know you with all my heart soul and mind. I praise you for the amazing creation that you have made. I am awestruck by your infinite power! Thanks for loving me so much to give me life, health and family. I bless you and want you in my life. Show me your presence!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:31 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Saturday, May 17, 2008TWG - May 17, 2008
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TWG - May 17, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 3; Psalm 13; Matthew 17
Today is May 17, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a covenant to seek the LORD God with all our heart and with all our soul. If you seek Him, He will be found by you.
Another hot one is past, and another hot day is yet to come. Yesterday I worked in earnest on Sunday’s message called “Miracles Happen,” a message about how Jesus Christ changes lives. When you meet Jesus, expect a miracle! I also did music practice in the morning. I watered the front lawn and the amphitheater. Jayn was there watering the flowers. Susan came in and also did some watering. She also got the bulletin ready to go. The Amphitheater is beginning to look pretty good! While I was down at the Amphitheater, Evie and the Grand kids were in the creek swimming. I put a cute little picture of Evie by the creek on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. After work I ran to pick up our air conditioner and put it in the window. Boy oh boy did we ever need it. Susan had the wading pool set up in back where she was trying to cool off. Today is going to be a busy day. I have to pick up materials for a deck, referee a soccer game and then go to Susan’s surprise birthday party. See you there!
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:19-20. What may be known about God is plain enough, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Men are without excuse. God has clearly revealed himself in His creation. All one has to do is look at the beauty of what has been made and we conclude “design points to a designer.” The heavens declare the glory of God. We are without excuse. All we have to do is look within, and we instinctively know there is a God… He has programmed Himself into our system. Our conscience bears witness that there is a God. We are without excuse. Just a cursory look into history tells us all we need to know. Every culture has both a flood story and a creation story. It is part of their verbal and sometimes their written history. While not all the details are the same, they all point to a real creation and real flood event, just like the Bible says. These are powerful evidences of God. We are without excuse. The universal laws of nature and the laws of the conscience clearly point to a universal law giver – God. If there are universal laws, there must have been a universal law giver. We live in a “uni-verse” not a “multi-verse.” If God did not exist, at the very least, we would expect that different places in the multiverse would have evolved with different physical laws. But even Star Trek with their odd laws in odd places has difficulty even imagining things that work inherently different than gravity, space, aging etc. Instead we find unified laws everywhere we look. That means certain things are right and certain things are wrong. Absolute truth points to an absolute God! We are out of excuses! Even atheists admit that a belief in God is reasonable except they don’t like it! They don’t want to be responsible to any higher power. Their stubborn spirit rebels! Yet even the atheist is surrounded by so much evidence for the existence of God that when the day of judgment comes and they stand before the God they don’t believe in, they won’t have anything to say in their defense. At that point, an “excuse me God I didn’t know you were there,” just won’t work, because God will replay the story of their life, and point out how again and again he not only demonstrated his existence, but sent messenger after messenger with a gentle but firm message, “there is a God!” As one fire and brimstone preacher once said, “turn or burn.” Not too tactful, but true none the less.
Dear Creator God. I believe that you are there. I know that one day I will stand before you. I want to be ready for that event, so I humbly submit my life to Jesus Christ my Savior. Thanks for dying for my sins. I trust you alone for my hope of eternal life. There is nothing as great as knowing you. Thanks for wanting me in your forever family.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:57 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Friday, May 16, 2008TWG - May 16, 2008
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TWG - May 16, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 2; Psalm 12; Matthew 16
Today is May 16, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a complete turn of events, it is a 180 degree turn around. God is changing us and turning us around as a community. This is not business as usual, this is transforming, this is spiritual, this is essential.
Yesterday was all sunshine! What a beautiful day. I prepared the bulletin as usual, uploaded our Radio broadcast to the internet, worked on the Church Web Page a bit. There are a few new pages us. Little by little it is being revamped. And I spent some time on power point for Sunday’s services. I also mowed and watered the amphitheater. It is beginning to look pretty good. Last night I worked out and then at 7 pm, ran to the tennis courts where Shaphen and I played a few sets – Shaphen won the first set. Then we joined two of his friends and played doubles… we slaughtered them on the second set. And boy was it hot last night. We had all the windows open and the fan going and it was somewhat bearable. I put a picture of Waynes legs on the net. He is trying to do a temporary fix job of the fence in my back yard that we crushed when he cut down my walnut tree. It’s on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:19-20. What may be known about God is plain enough, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Since the creation God’s Divine Nature has been clearly seen. The first Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, was an atheist. After his jaunt into outer space he declared, "I did not see God up there." A 12-year-old girl in Sweden was troubled by the remark so she wrote him a letter. "Dear Cosmonaut Gagarin: I understand that you have flown in space and that you did not see God. Sir, I just want to ask you if you are pure in your heart?" She was repeating the words of Jesus who told us, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." When we gaze out through the endless void of space, past billions of stars and planets where nothing exists except time, space and matter, what can we discover about God’s character? Maybe we need to do nothing more then turn around and view our home from afar, a tiny, lovely, and fragile "blue marble" hanging in the blackness of space. This little blue and green planet is one of a kind. As far as we know there is no other planet like it that can sustain life. From this we can conclude that we are unique and that even though God has a vast universe at his disposal, he chose to focus all his LOVE in one place: us! Zoom back in to any city or town and get a close up of any human. Compare humanity to any and every animal… loyal dogs, chattering monkeys, sleek dolphins, awesome whales… as beautiful as they are, again we are struck with the fact that we are a unique creation, a special creature. We can talk, think grand thoughts, even invent and build amazing things. And we can contemplate on spiritual things like God and heaven, something nothing else in vast universe can do. Our uniqueness tells us something about God’s Divine Nature. He loves us in a unique way! He has given us gifts that no one else has! But God didn’t just plant us on this little blue marble and then leave us on our own while he took a long trip through the blackness of space to the far side of the universe. On the contrary, He did something of universal importance. He walked among us. God walking on the Earth is more important than Man walking on the Moon. The cosmonaut may not have found God in outer space, yet God wants us to find him in such a bad way that he walked among us in our space. Another glimpse into God’s divine character: His love is almost desperate for us. It is a desperate love because we are in a desperate condition… we are truly lost without Him. So desperate is His love that he endured the mockery of man and paid the ultimate sacrifice to communicate His love to us. “For God SO LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life!”
Dear Loving Savior. I am grateful to learn that you love me. I see now that you always have. You have heaped all your love upon me. In all the vast universe, you chose to love a singular planet and a simple person like me. I am humbled by your love and attracted to it. I love you too.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:55 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Thursday, May 15, 2008TWG - May 15, 2008
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TWG - May 15, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 1; Psalm 11; Matthew 15:21-39
Today is May 15, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day
Yesterday was nothing out of the ordinary for me. I worked on our Growing Together Radio Broadcast. Half way through the message, the sound quality died, due to microphone failure, so I had to re-record half the message and try to match the same sound / tone quality in order to publish it. It should be on the net today. Marcia and Carole, the Awana leader from Melrose stopped in to talk Awana. We had a nice long meeting and discussed a lot of details that are helping to fill out our understanding of the program. Please pray for it. It will cost us nearly $ 1,000 to get this going and the same amount every year. That means God is going to have to provide. We are trusting Him. I finally got my phone bill fixed (I think) and I sent out several emails about church related things. I spoke to Vicki about our coming Missionary speaker this Sunday. Jayn sent me a picture of the raccoon that came to breakfast at her place! I put it on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. And after work, I went to work out with Kyle and Marcia. Kyle recorded a half a dozen intros to our Radio Broadcast.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:19-20. What may be known about God is plain enough, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Since the creation God’s eternal power has been clearly seen! God is really powerful. There is no other realistic explanation for what we see around us. It took an infinite amount of power to create the starry universe. If there is no God, what could explain the vast expanse of space? Where did it come from? How could something so immense and so immeasurable just have come into existence by itself in the snap of a finger or even in a billion, billion years? It couldn’t! “Look ma, no space!” (fingers snap) “Look ma! I snapped my fingers and quintillions of tons of rock and earth suddenly appeared out of no where to make all the planets and stars! Just like that! Something from nothing!” That’s a stretch. Imagine a time when there was nothing. No time. No dirt. No space. No stars. NOTHING. How does something come from nothing? It doesn’t. Try an experiment. Take a glass jar and sterilize it. Seal it up tight and wait a lifetime, or even a million, million lifetimes. Then look inside to see if the universe or a star or anything else is beginning to form. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. It’s empty. Why? Because something can’t come from nothing… but wait it ISN’T empty! Because in your jar, there is no way to suck out all the invisible matter and leave nothing inside. And what’s inside is bumping up against the glass – that’s something. There are still unnumbered atoms and molecules that you can’t see that are in there! You can’t get them out! So the experiment is a failure. In your experiment you couldn’t get something to come from something! What if there really was a “jar” with nothing in it, I mean really nothing. No atoms, no molecules, no DNA, no basic building blocks – just emptiness. How can we expect something to come from nothing if we can’t get something to come from something? A scientist once took a jar and filled it with the basic building blocks of life… to approximate primordial slime. He hooked it to a machine and sent electrical shocks through it at regular intervals, day after day, and week after week. He wanted to try to create life in the laboratory just like evolution said it did billions of years ago. His experiment was a dismal failure. He couldn’t even get something to come from something! He even started with slime and electricity and it didn’t work. I’d say, just as a casual, untrained observer, that God has to be pretty powerful to make something from nothing. All the stars in all the skies in all the universe testify of the power of the almighty creator. And by the way, God might have something to say for the evolutionary scientist… “If you really want to try to make something from nothing, get your own primordial slime!”
Dear Almighty God. You are truly powerful. When I contemplate on the starry universe I realize just how immense you are. I can’t imagine all the power it took just to create the first bit of matter, but you brought It into existence with a word! This bit of matter will bow the knee to you in humility. I am blessed to be your special creation!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 11:13 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Wednesday, May 14, 2008TWG - May 14, 2008
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TWG - May 14, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Genesis 50; Psalm 10; Matthew 15:1-20
Today is May 14, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. You are part of a devotional community where we put Christ first and our commitment is to spend time with each other and Time with God every day.
It’s a raccoon morning. I got up and looked out the window, and there was Ricky raccoon and his friend wandering down the road looking for their old friend, Tilly (our dog). Every so often Ricky Raccoon emails Tilly. Ricky even has his own email address. I put a picture of the two raccoons wandering down the road on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. They are hard to see because I didn’t have much time to adjust my camera. Yesterday I didn’t have a conventional Tuesday. Instead I went outside for a while and cut some bender board for the amphitheater stage forms. Then I helped Bill and Mike set the level for the new sidewalk out back. I did some editing and made several phone calls. I spoke to Marcia about VBS and Awana for quite a while. She has a lot on her plate right now! Pray for both of those important ministries. After work I stopped by to visit Doris. She is getting out of Rosehaven on Saturday! After dinner I went back to church for “12” our men’s meeting. We had a great time of fellowship. Wish you were there.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:19-20. What may be known about God is plain enough, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
God has revealed himself in two ways: #1 General Revelation; “his invisible qualities” are revealed in creation. And #2 Special Revelation; He has given us extensive revelation through the Word. Today we will work on #1. It seems like an oxymoron to say that “his invisible qualities” have been clearly seen! But it does make a good riddle. Question: “How can you see what you can’t see?” Answer: “With invisible eyes!” The real answer is a little more practical. God has revealed his invisible qualities in nature. We can extrapolate (or conclude) some things about God’s nature from nature itself. Let me give you several examples. The universe was built around the concept of “threes.” Past + Present + Future = Time. Height + Depth + Width = 3 dimensional Space. Motion + Energy + Phenomena = Matter. And it takes all three Time + Space + Matter to = the universe. We see over and over that 3 are 1 and 1 = 3 – a reflection of the trinity in the universe. But there is much more. The universe, as far as we can tell extends on and on with no end therefore it’s creator had to be eternal and all powerful. The design and structure of the vast universe requires that an infinite creator be omnipresent to be able to set it in motion and keep it running. The first cause of the complex micro-universe as seen through the microscope had to be infinitely complex, all wise and omniscient. In order to create life, the creator had to be living. The creator of love had to be loving. So here are some things we can know about the invisible God from the visible universe – He’s a trinity. He is eternal, all powerful, living, omnipresent, all wise, all knowing, and loving (and the list could go on and on.) Those attributes can only describe one thing and it’s not the almighty matter of evolution… it is the almighty God of creation. Need some invisible eyes? Try thinking invisible thoughts about the unseen God and you’ll see him clearly!
Dear Father and creator. Thank you for revealing yourself to us in your creation. Thank you for making me in your image. I believe in you and I will trust in you. Give me the assurance and confidence that comes with knowing you. I will trust and never be afraid!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:49 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Tuesday, May 13, 2008TWG - May 13, 2008
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TWG - May 13, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Genesis 49; Psalm 9; Matthew 14
Today is May 13, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. This is your invitation to take one step forward every day in your relationship with Christ. We invite you to do something unbelievably radical. We invite you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus
Yesterday was work around the house day… all day. Wayne showed up about 7:30 in the morning and soon both of us were out back. For most of the day, Wayne climbed my walnut tree and cut it down. Everything went as planned except for one cut. It dropped on the neighbor’s fence and took out quite a bit of it. Now I need to think about what to do about replacement. But what a relief to have the tree down! It was in such bad condition, it could have fallen on the neighbor’s house in a windstorm. After we got the tree down and cleaned up, I mowed the lawn. That just about did me in. And later in the day I did finances. Believe it or not, once I finished that it was bed time! I put a picture of ale and Mike in the new Kitchen Pantry where they were working on shelves on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com.
This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:19-20. What may be known about God is plain enough, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
A Russian Czar once asked his court theologian for a proof that God exists… he gave this answer, “Your Jew, your Jew, your hated Jew.” An atheist was once asked what he would say to God when he died and discovered indeed that God exists. He said, I would say, “Why did you hide yourself so well?” God has not hidden himself. Only those who wish to be blind close their eyes to the evidence. We don’t need to look any further than the Jew, a unique people with a miraculous background. Show me any other people that have been scattered to every nation under the face of the earth who have been able to maintain their distinct religious and ethnic background and then return to their homeland after a hundred or a thousand years to reclaim their heritage. There are no other nations like this. But Israel has done it three different times. Once in 1948 after being dispersed to every nation under the face of the earth nearly 2000 years before; once at @ 500 BC after being dispersed by the Babylonians 80 years and the Assyrians 200 years before that; and once under Moses leadership when they came out of Egypt where they had lived as slaves for over 400 years. In each case powerful men tried to destroy the Jew and failed. Pharaoh did his best to enslave them, kill their children and finally he called on his entire army to march against these unarmed nomads. He lost. God delivered them in the most amazing way at the crossing of the Red Sea. Haaman tried to annihilate the Jew. He set a day and sent out an edict that on that day every Jew was to be eradicated. But God delivered them using Queen Esther. Hitler did his best to rid the earth of the Jew in the ovens of Auswitch and other concentration camps. But out of that dark day the modern nation of Israel was born in a miraculous way. Why do so many people have such an irrational hatred for the Jew? Could it be that there is a real spiritual battle going on and that God has revealed himself to the world through the Jew? Think about this: Each of these returns to the land was prophetically foretold hundreds of years in advance which leads us to a second amazing fact about the Jew. God chose a shabby, disorganized, insignificant group of people to pass on the “Oracles of God” to the nations. The Bible, God’s revelation, came through the Jewish prophets. The amazing thing about the Bible is that it is historically accurate, archaeologically true, and scientifically correct in all its statements. It is God’s revelation… God revealed Himself to us through the prophets. God has made Himself plain to us. You just have to read the book!
Dear Father, thank you for revealing yourself to us in history and in your Word. Thank you that we are not left in the dark to fend for ourselves, but you have loved us so much that you sent your own son to reveal the Father. Lord we are blessed to have the truth. Since we have it, may we apply it to our lives!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:36 AM | MAKE A COMMENT