Time With God

11-5 Need Security?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:00 +0800

Bribery is dangerous! I held my breath as I pulled up to the house where I pick up Johnny, Ashley and Amberley for Awana. The last few weeks Johnny has not wanted to come because he’s not a running kind of kid and doesn’t want to participate in the games. His niece, Amberley really idolizes him and doesn’t want to do anything Johnny doesn’t. Last week I told them “they needed to participate or no candy on the way home.” That backfired! Amberley left my car crying… YOU HEEL! All week long I prayed about it with concern. To my surprise Amberley not only came, but she came with a good attitude for the first time in weeks and had fun! Whew, thank you Lord, dodged a bullet there! Today’s thought comes from 1 Peter 1:3-4 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” How much is enough? A multimillionaire was once asked that question… his answer? “A little more!” Really? You would think that after the jackpot got to a million or so, a person would be satisfied and say… “I think I have enough now, I don’t really need more.” But that’s not the way it works! We want more! Why? Greed is one answer. And don’t forget about Covetousness. There are always bigger boats to buy and more expensive toys to acquire. Another BIG reason is security. How much material stuff like gold, silver, property, stocks and bonds does it take to make us feel secure? The more we accumulate, the more security we need in order to pay the bill collectors and replace the stuff we’ve got. We have a bigger income and BIGGER BILLS! They say that there are three things that drive the stock market: Greed, Hope and Fear. Never underestimate fear. Every investor knows that what goes up can come down 100 times faster than it went up! Eternal nervous vigilance is necessary to protect what you have. If we were honest, we would probably rate insecurity and fear among the top reasons for piling on materialism. When is your bank account big enough? Uh… never? Why do you hold on so tight to every greenback? Fear & Insecurity. Let’s face it, wealth is so tentative, especially in these tough economic times that we may driven to work 90 hours a week, hoard all we can get, and protect our little Fort Knox with an arsenal of highly trained ninja warriors. You won’t see a penny from me until you pull my cold, dead fingers off my safety deposit box! Jesus had a different view. Don’t hoard your treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, instead lay up your treasures in heaven where, as Peter said, we have an “incorruptible inheritance” that is “undefiled and does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” The real answer to security is where you bank! If you depend on your deposits at the Bank of the World, you have reason to be uneasy. There the value of everything depreciates, the shine on our trinkets corrodes, and Identity Theft threatens to transfer all funds to a foreign account. The antidote to insecurity is to open an account in the Bank of Heaven. There your inheritance is safe and secure. There your riches do not depreciate or disappear. There you have “exceeding riches” as your reward. There you can depend on the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. There you have the riches of His glory which supply all your needs. Those riches strengthen the inner man and his inventory is so high the riches are unsearchable. I pray that the eyes of your understanding would be opened that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. Need security? Bank in Heaven. Today's Reading 2 Chronicles 6; Isaiah 57; Acts 21 Dear Father. I want to find my security in You. I know you are a solid rock that I can depend on. I know that on this earth riches may come and go, but you will never leave me or forsake me. I am depending on a retirement that is out of this world. Help me to place my trust there, not on things that can never bring stability and security. My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

11-04 Hope – A Virtue or Vice?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:58:00 +0800

I love Tuesday nights! Every other Tuesday I meet with our two LTDers (Some call it our Long Term Disabilities class, but it is really our Leadership Training & Discipleship class). I spend three hours in class with Mike & Larry. Long class? It doesn’t seem like it. We cover lots of great material and time just seems to fly! There are some great books to read, verses to memorize and some great interaction. I just love the fact that the lights are coming on and the vision is being caught! And that’s what it’s all about. Passing on the faith to some guys serious about serving the Lord! Today's Scripture reading is 2 Chronicles 5; Isaiah 56; Acts 20 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from 1 Peter 1:3-4 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, Hope. A man can live 40 days without food, 4 days without water, 4 minutes without air, but can’t last even 4 seconds without hope! I always thought hope was a virtue! Hope is good, right? Did you know that the Greeks considered hope to be as dangerous as all the world's evils put together! In fact Hope was one of the evils that Pandora let out of the box! Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche argued that hope, in truth, “is the most evil of evils because it prolongs man's torment." It makes men hang on when there is no rational reason to hang on. If they had only given up sooner their torment would not have lasted so long. Is that twisted or what? I hope that I don’t hope, because if I do hope I’ll end up more hopeless in the end! Seriously… it does make some sense, but only if you are basing your hope on a phantom or on something that won’t come through. So, what are you basing your hope on? The dictionary defines hope as “a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” I hope so! That definition doesn’t do anything to reinforce the idea that hope is good! How many times do things turn out “good” for you? Marriage turns sour. Economy goes bust. People die. Cars break down. You are getting older and more infirm. I’ve got to admit it; hope that the things this life will come through isn’t too promising. I might as well hold out the hope that I’ll win the lottery! Good luck. You could win the jackpot only to be run over by a Semi five minutes later! That’s why the Bible calls the Christian’s hope “a living hope… that does not fade away.” Our hope is not like their hope. Our hope is based on solid footing. We believe that since Jesus was resurrected from the dead that we have a place reserved in heaven! Everything hinges on the resurrection! If Jesus was not raised from the dead we are the most pitiable of all people. If Christ is not risen our faith is worthless, useless, and misplaced and we are still in our sins. We are not forgiven and we are pushing a lie, the biggest lie ever concocted! But if Christ is risen we have more reason to hope than anyone else on the face of the planet. Did he or didn’t he? Only the disciples (and God) know… and they were willing to die for it! Who would die for what they know to be a lie? Listen, if, or should I say SINCE, Christ is risen from the dead, he has given us a LIVING HOPE. This has nothing to do with “I hope so…” nothing to do with an insubstantial phantom of a promise that evaporates like an illusion in the desert. This is hope based on the rock solid fact of the resurrection. Bank on it. No matter what happens in this life, “all things work together for the good of those who love God and… nothing can separate me from the love of God!” Dear Lord Jesus, I hope in you, and that hope will not be disappointed because you have always come through in the past and always will in the future. I don’t hope in the circumstances of this life, I do hope in the promised future of eternity. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you

11-03 Only the Unworthy are Worthy

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:14:00 +0800

All quiet on the Kreiss’ front. Yesterday was one of those uneventful days in the life of Dennis & Susan Kreiss. Great isn’t it! I have to have a few of those. I did some work on finances… that’s a snoozer. Then I called up Bank of America and talked to a few loan officers about refinancing our home at a lower rate. And then I called up Sprint to talk about my phone which is having intermittent problems with the display. Sometimes it goes pitch dark. They are sending out a new one! I did a few things around the yard, and thought about doing a few more, but didn’t. Worked out. Spent time with Susan. Not much happening here! Today's Scripture reading is 2 Chronicles 4; Isaiah 55; Acts 19 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from 1 Peter 1:3-4 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, Should I be merciful? How do we decide if a person deserves mercy or if they should get what’s coming to them? My nephew once asked a question on Facebook, “Does Vick deserve another chance in the NFL?” Everyone was dancing around the discussion of his ability and the seriousness or triviality of the crime he committed when I asked, “What do you mean by the word deserve?” Suddenly the whole conversation changed! Does anyone “deserve” mercy? Mercy, by definition is given to those who don’t deserve it. They committed a crime, offense or sin and deserve to face the consequences of their actions. To deserve something means we are worthy of it! No one DESERVES mercy, only the unworthy are worthy of mercy. Those two words, “deserve” and “mercy” used in the same sentence, are incompatible with one another. So how do you determine who gets mercy? It might be complicated. We might ask, “was it an accident? Why did they do it? Is it worth it for me to push the issue or should I let it go?” And then perhaps the most important question, “what about their attitude? Is it contrite or arrogant?” My guess is that we grant leniency to the humble more than we do to the pig headed. If there were ever a case for “deserving” mercy, this would be it! Now let’s see how God does it. He offers us “abundant mercy!” While we were still SINNERS Christ died for us… while we were ENEMIES he reconciled us… when we were REBELLIOUS he offered mercy to us. (Read Romans 5:6-8) His mercy is so great that not only does he offer to let us off the hook for our sins and indiscretions, but in the interest of justice, he also stepped in to pay the price we were destined to pay for them! And the amazing thing is that mercy is OFFERED both to the contrite and to the pig headed! My offers of mercy are conditional! If you want to go toe to toe with me, I’ll take it to the next level. I’m NOT even going to even offer mercy to a pig headed, rebellious, loud mouthed, ungrateful, arrogant brat! But God offers abundant mercy to all! The offer is extended. God will let you off the hook, scot free – you deserve hell, he’ll give you heaven… but, and here’s where the but comes in… in order to receive this free gift of mercy, you will have to deserve it by realizing how undeserving you are, you must become worthy by grasping how unworthy you are. You must be humble and contrite before God (who in their right mind wouldn’t be!) and gratefully accept his offer of abundant mercy. His mercy is offered to ALL, but received only by those who appreciate their need and request it. Won’t you accept it today? Dear Father: I am unworthy of your abundant mercy. I realize the seriousness of my condition. Only mercy can get me off the hook and into heaven. I drop all pretence of worthiness before you, and instead willingly and gratefully accept your gracious gift of eternal life. Thanks! Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

11-02 A Significant Secret to Happiness

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:44:00 +0800

The empty chair. Sunday night Bill put an empty chair in our “Bible Study Circle,” and I asked them “what is the significance of the empty chair?” These people are so perceptive. It wasn’t really difficult to figure out. The empty chair is for someone who’s not here. I introduced them to the “Prayer of the empty chair.” We are going to pray that God will fill that empty chair! The empty chair will remind us that one of our great responsibilities is to reach out to people and see them come to Christ, come to “sit at His feet” and learn… on the empty chair. So we suggested names of folks we’d like to see fill the empty chair. While we were still talking Al & Carolyn arrived, and Al sat on the empty chair! Now it was no longer the empty chair. We’ll have to get another one. Today's Scripture reading is 2 Chronicles 3; Isaiah 54; Acts 18 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from 1 Peter 1:3-4 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, God is good… All the time! How good is God? He is ALL good. There isn’t a bad bone in his body… that is, if he had a body, there wouldn’t be a bad bone in it. John puts it this way, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5). James adds, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17). There is no darkness in God, in fact there is not a hint, not even a faint shadow or variation of his goodness. God is all good, all the time. Depend on it. One thing you can depend on is the consistency and dependability of God. He always acts according to His character – 100% of the time! GOD IS GOOD! Life is tough. Because of Adam, our great, great grandfather, we have problems. The original sin messed with the universe. It paved the way for every bad thing you have ever experienced. Aging, crime, bills, sickness, hurricanes, arguments, ingrown toenails… you name it, it precipitated it all. Good from God, Bad from Sin. God is not responsible for the evils that have found their way into our lives. God is responsible for every good thing that has ever happened to you! When bad things happen, Sin deserves the blame, when good things happen God deserves the praise! But far too often we do exactly the reverse of what we should: We blame God for bad things and praise us for good things! We say things like “If God were a God of love, he wouldn’t allow all the rape (people did that) murder (people) crime (that’s us doing it again) etc in the world! Backwards. And then when good things happen we say, “I’m a lucky guy!” (us). “I made a good investment decision” (us again). “It just took a lot of hard work” (you got it – we take the credit!). 1 Peter tells us we ought to bless God because of his abundant mercy, extravagant hope and unbelievable gifts that he heaps upon us! We have been blessed! We ought to bless back! A grateful heart is one of essential keys to a happy successful life. An ungrateful person is happy only when things are really going his way, and then only for a while. A grateful person realizes that even when bad things happen, there is still an amazing amount of things to give thanks for! Health, family, job, house, car, Jesus, the fresh air we breathe, the beauty of nature, Jesus, eyesight, two hands, ability to walk, Jesus… Want happiness beyond imagination? Pause several times a day, close your eyes for just a moment or two and sink into a state of thanksgiving. Smile and say, “God you are good! I thank you for your blessings!” And then list a few. “You have been so good to me! Thanks that every day I come home to a warm house and the smell of dinner cooking… Thanks… and then you fill in the blanks!” Bless God and the joy will flow. Dear Father: Thanks for the death of your Son Jesus. That you love me so much that you want me as your child! Thanks for the hope of heaven, that you want me to be in your presence for eternity! Thanks for transformation, that you have come to live inside me and make me like yourself. I bless you. "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

10-30 Every Possible Impossible Thing!

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:25:00 +0800

Boo! A day early. Tomorrow hordes of innocent little goblins dressed like cute little princesses and jellyfish will invade the streets to beg for candy. What you may not know is that on this day several hundred thousand not so innocent American pagans, Druids, and witches celebrate a holy day called Shadowfest, a 2,000-year-old Celtic festival held to honor Samhain, the lord of earth… something Christians should avoid! Another thing you may not know is that tomorrow is “Reformation Day,” the day when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act triggered the “Reformation” which led to a re-clarification of the Gospel which is so important in our religious heritage. This is the day when we celebrate that heaven is a free gift! “Sola fide” – By faith alone & “Sola Gratia” – only by grace. Today's Scripture reading is 2 Chronicles 2; Isaiah 53; Acts 17:16-34 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Are you a trekkie? If so, you probably speak Klingon fluently and have seen every episode of Star Trek, The Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager and Enterprise… beam me up Scotty! One of the standard shots in Star Trek is the transporter room where an away team is dematerialized and shot thousands of miles away onto a planet’s surface where they are rematerialized. If only we could do it for real! Jesus can. Jesus can walk on water, walk through walls, disappear in one place and appear in another… and he can “fly.” It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no its… rererererereerereeee (sound of record winding down). Jesus is not just another superhero, Jesus is God almighty, and thus he can do as he pleases. There is nothing he can’t do! Can you imagine the disciple’s reaction to the ascension of their Lord? Right in front of their eyes he floated, flew, ascended, soared into the skies! Their jaws dropped! They had seen Jesus do every possible impossible thing! He had healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the five thousand, given sight to the blind, calmed a stormy sea, and yes he had come back to life from the dead! Now he was flying! Pinch me please, is this for real or is it just special effects? Oh yeah! They didn’t have special effects back then! If he was just an ordinary human he couldn’t have done what he did. Mark, Luke and Acts record the Ascension of the Lord, Matthew does not. But I’m betting that the doubters who worshiped the resurrected Lord in verse 17, had something even larger to ponder in verse 21! (There is no verse 21, but that’s when Jesus would have ascended!) The book of Acts picks up the story and tells us that the disciples went back to Jerusalem to await the promised coming of the Holy Spirit. Days passed. Nights went by. Thomas may have looked at that starry sky, closed his eyes and replayed the ascension of Christ over and over in his mind. Maybe Peter was there with him, tapped him on the shoulder, “Are you thinking about what I’m thinking about? I keep reliving the time he walked right through the locked door and showed us his hands and side! And can you believe the ascension! We serve an awesome God!” They may have stood there in silence taking in the moment. There was no doubt in their minds, “lo I am with you always!” Anyone who could do all that, could still be here, and he is. Dear Lord Jesus. I know that all things are possible with You. You are here now, right where I am. When I doubt, Lord, fill my heart with the hope of Your Spirit and the reminder of Your Power. I await your return with great anticipation, knowing that “this same Jesus, who was taken up into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven." You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength. This is the greatest commandment

10-29 Never Count God Out

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:14:00 +0800

Bad days. I try not to have many of them. Life doesn’t seem quite as good during bad days, and Lord knows that I like to enjoy life, so I focus on rejoicing in the Lord, looking on the bright side, thinking on things that are good, and avoiding the bad stuff. But every so often a real hum-dinger comes around. Some of you can relate. One day you awake, sit up in bed and look around at all the problems staring you back in the face. You’ve got company! “Hey! It’s too early for this!” You hope they’re just visiting, but fear they’re here to stay. Yesterday was one of those days. Finances, family, church… you name it, it happened. Al came in at just the right time. He looked like he needed a hug, so I stole one from him. If YOU are having one of those days, here’s a hug for y’all. Today's Scripture reading is 2 Chronicles 1; Isaiah 52; Acts 17:1-15 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. The task ahead of us is never greater than the power behind us. The power behind us is immeasurably greater than the task ahead of us! Lord don’t give us tasks according to our powers, give us powers according to our tasks. To reach the world! That is a task and a half. Whenever I tell the people of the church that our mission is to reach the world with the Gospel of Christ, they smile knowingly. “Sure thing, I’ll get right on it.” And whenever I tell the people of the church that our mission is to reach every single person in Roseburg with the Gospel of Christ, the eyebrows come up! That’s a lot of people! We’re having a hard time keeping our heads above water! OK, let’s be honest. I’d be happy to reach a few hundred with the Gospel… be realistic, how about just four or five new families in church this year… that’s reachable. Even that seems out of reach right now. Imagine the Disciple’s thoughts. There were a few hundred people at most gathered together for prayer on Pentecost… Can you hear the Apostles consternation… “And we are supposed to reach the world? I’m going fishing!” And look at us today. Christians spread across every continent, in every land… amazing. How did we get from a handful to a FEW BILLION! The odds are so against that! That’s how I feel sometimes in my little church, with our modest congregation. The odds are against us! The culture war is raging, threatening to shut us down! Where are the young people! The economy is down, giving is down! So many of us are apathetic! Some, to my grief make horrible life choices. They choose to be sinful, irresponsible, uncommitted, uncaring and yes, even hostile! The chorus of voices shout in my head, “IT CAN’T BE DONE!” The shoulders droop. The tears drop. Time to cash in the chips? How about that still small voice? “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” Never count God out! NEVER! In quiet confidence Jesus whispers, “ALL power is mine! The odds are never against me! I can still heal, transform, revive, regenerate, save, provide, comfort and empower. No matter what you are facing I’m up to the task. I can do immeasurably beyond what you can ask or think! Need abundant life? I’ve got it.” Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains you can't tunnel thru? God specializes in things thought impossible, He does the things no other can do. Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed, For I am your God and will still give you aid. Dear Lord God. We need roots more than we need wings. When through fiery trials my pathway shall lie, Your grace, all sufficient, shall be my supply: The flame shall not hurt me; You only design, My dross to consume and my gold to refine. Teach me to believe that. Loudly if necessary. In Jesus Name, Amen. All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose

10-28 Intensive Discipleship

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:25:00 +0800

Thank God for busy days. The phone rang incessantly, people filtered through my day like they were coming through a revolving door… thank God for busy days. After a number of phone calls, one emergency call came in from Dr. John! I’M HUNGRY! He shouted! When can you meet me for lunch. I ran to Brix where we shared some personal details of our lives. When I got back Tony was ready for me to dig a ditch so he could fix our septic system. I jumped on the backhoe and missed 2 pipes, 1 conduit, and only nicked the two manholes that were all in the way! Carl stopped by… as did a few other folks! Then it was time to work out at Kyle’s where they were turning a mannequin into a pumpkin head therapist. Finally it was back out to church for men’s meeting which was awesome! Wish you were there! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 29; Isaiah 51; Acts 16:16-40 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. “Do you have a RED Bible?” (Thinking… hmmm what color is my Bible anyway? Blue? Brown? Black?) “EVERYBODY ought to have a READ Bible.” Ever got caught by that little play on words before? It’s cute. The Bible is a BIG book. There’s a lot to know there. I have a huge concern for the young people of our day. There is a tremendous poverty and illiteracy gap among today’s teenagers when it comes to God’s Word. So many kids today grow up with almost no knowledge of God’s Truth. It’s a travesty! They are being taught something, and believe me, it’s not our value system! They are growing up with beliefs that are hostile to Christianity and out of step with our countries heritage. We are about to see the largest paradigm shift of world views in US history. If you listen, you can hear the rasping of the hinges just before the door slams shut on the Christian world view. Enough whining! What’s the solution? Same as it’s always been. Make disciples, “teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you.” Previously I suggested that Jesus wants ALL of us to do what he asked his original 12 disciples to do. Get your own group. Teach them. Raise up a dozen disciples who are willing to get their own group and raise up disciples for Jesus. How do you do that? It takes maturity. We must somehow get those disciples to grow up enough to see that their mission is to raise up other disciples. They must be willing to enter into the intensive training of the twelve! Jesus put it this way, “When a disciple is fully trained he will be just like his teacher,” Luke 6:40. That’s a lot of training! We throw out the net like a fisherman (The net:) “Every individual in your group must come to see himself as a potential leader!” When you see God working in a life, you pull him aside and suggest that they become “one of the twelve.” You ask them to become a disciple. That’s because “Every leader must come to see himself as a discipler of disciples.” We have a two year training course that will “teach them to observe all things I have commanded you.” (Or at least get a good start on it!) We teach about Grace, submission to God, and the whole council of God. By the time a disciple comes out of this course, he should have his own group, and then he will look to find other disciples. We don’t teach knowledge for knowledge’s sake. We teach to produce disciples. Reproduction is the goal. Are you on the discipleship track? If not, let me know so I can get you on it! Dear Father. I want to be a disciple of yours. I want to learn the “whole counsel of God.” I am willing to disciple others. If you are willing, I will follow you in discipleship and disciple others. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

10-27 Famous Trios

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:59:00 +0800

The rain in SU falls mainly on U. Yesterday my one big outing was to South Umpqua to referee two soccer games. I don’t know what the weather was like in Roseburg, but Tri-City always seems to have interesting weather conditions. As I neared the field, a torrent of vertical rain pelted my car. By the time I got out, the sun was poking out of a cloud and the rain had stopped. My first game was uneventful. No rain, no sun, just clouds. Then, just as we set foot on the field for the varsity match, the wind whipped up and the rain began. Since I was running the line close to my bag, I took a detour and grabbed my gloves! Khumba, in the center, was a bit jealous. My hands and legs were cold, his must have been colder. The rain came down! Then the sun came out. For about fifteen minutes we had some glorious sunshine. That was just before MORE rain! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 28; Isaiah 50; Acts 16 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Snap, Crackle, Pop! Winkin, Blinkin & Nod. Red, White & Blue… what do all these have in common? They are famous trios. And there are more of them, dozens more! The three, stooges, musketeers, blind mice, men in a tub and on and on and on! I don’t know why, but there seems to be something poetic, balanced & synergistic about the number three. Maybe it’s because they are all patterned after the original three: “the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” It’s what we call the Trinity. The English word Trinity is derived from Latin Trinitas, meaning "the number three, a triad". The word “Trinity” is never used in the Bible. The first recorded use of it in Christian theology was by Theophilus of Antioch in about 170 AD. But the concept is there. Notice the careful wording of Matthew, “Baptizing them in the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Name is singular! One name, three persons! It isn’t three names, it’s ONE. It’s like a brand. You can’t have Rice Crispies if you only have “Snap & Crackle” You can’t have the flag without “Red, White & …” The three are one. And consider this, God created the universe after His pattern to demonstrate that you can find God in the universe. Time Trio = Past, Present & Future. Can you tell me at what point future becomes present becomes past? Time is indivisibly one, yet distinctly three. Dimensional Space Trio = Height, Width & Depth. Look at any corner of your room. At the convergent point, all three are clearly one… yet follow the line across the ceiling and it is distinctive from the other two lines. You can’t have three dimensional space without it. Three in one. And the whole universe is made up of a trinity = Time, Space & Matter. Matter exists in three dimensional space “traveling” through time… or what some have called the time / space continuum. (Matter is a trinity as well, but way beyond my ability to explain!). The universe is not partly composed of space, partly of matter, and partly of time. A trinity is not a trio or a triad, but a tri-unity, with each part comprising the whole, yet all three required to make the whole. Thus, the universe is all Space, all Time, and all Matter! Man was also created in the image of God! He is physical, mental and spiritual! It seems that God worked very hard at leaving his imprint on everything He made! “The heavens declare the Glory of God!” If you look for Him, He’s there! Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Dear Lord. Thanks for revealing yourself to me. I am grateful for you father, for being my father. I thank you Jesus for being my savior. And I thank you Spirit for living within and giving me new life. I will worship You. The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

10-23 Get Your Own Group!

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:45:00 +0800

Cruise recap: We finally boarded Alaska Airlines for the Flight home. Originally Susan and I had seats on separate rows, but they were able to transfer us to row 7. Across from us was a gal named Kelsie and her husband. I asked what she did... she said she was a Gymnastic teacher from Salem... I asked if she knew a friend mine in Roseburg who was also a Gymnastic teacher. Khumba. She said yes she did! Small World! I referee soccer with him! I did his wedding! We had an immediate connection. I asked her if she attended church anywhere and she said that they are looking right now. The church they went to just lost their pastor and they feel a little out of place. I suggested Keizer Community Church. Pray that they’ll get plugged in. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 26; Isaiah 48; Acts 14 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. How many of you know what your Spiritual gift is? Does it matter? Would you live your life differently if you knew? How do Spiritual Gifts impact us? Spiritual Gifts are not exactly like natural abilities. If, for example, I have a great singing voice, I can belt out beautiful music whenever I’m in the mood. Or let’s say I have a photographic memory. Because I remember everything I see, I can regurgitate it whenever the need for useless information presents itself. But Spiritual Gifts don’t exactly work that way. If you don’t stir up a desire for the Lord, your gift won’t shine! You need to stir up your love and passion for the Lord in order for the Holy Spirit to work effectively through you. And that’s the point of the gifts: they were given to make you an effective minister. One of the errors we fall into in the discussion of gifts is that sometimes we think our gift limits our ministry! “Oh I don’t have that gift! I can’t teach, evangelize, lead, help etc.” But 1 Corinthians 11:4-7 tells us that “a variety of gifts can perform a variety of ministries in a variety of ways!” The gift makes us effective ministers wherever we minister! That brings me to today’s big topic: teaching. You all ought to be teachers. That’s right! Most of us, when we are mature are meant to be teachers. You can bring whatever gift God has given you to the table and use it to teach. Why teaching? Because it’s every Christian’s commission: “Go and make disciples of ALL nations… TEACHING THEM!” There can be no discipling without teaching! And there can be no Christianity without discipleship! You were meant to be a disciple! Once a disciple is grown up he will begin to teach others! Simple huh? Every Christian ought to aspire to have his little group of twelve that he disciples to become disciplers of disciples! To do that, you must meet with them regularly to teach and train them. Get a group… it could be a Sunday School Class or home group. Start teaching. But teaching and fellowship is NOT the objective of your class! Some groups just love to get together. They’ve been doing it for years. They like each other so much that they’d never consider moving out beyond the walls of their little group. No, no, NO! The objective is to teach others to disciple others. Every member of your group needs to consider themselves as a potential leader! Within a few years (?) of training, they need to be mature enough to get out there and get their own group. Multiplication is the aim of the group. So, move out and get your own group! Dear Lord. I need to be discipled! I need to grow up so that I can train others! I want to make training others the goal of my life. Please help me to realize that the greatest contribution I can make to this world and to your kingdom is to invest my life in other people so that they can invest their lives in other people! “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.”-

10-22 The Great Pyramid Scheme

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:21:00 +0800

Cruise recap: Every evening at the dinner hour, Susan and I were seated in the “elation” dining hall. Our assigned seating placed us at a table with six Baptists and two reformed Jews. I sat next to Phil, a retired School Superintendent from California. Phil, Joyce, Susan and I hit it off right away, and it seemed like wherever we went, Phil and Joyce just happened to show up! Twice we watched the evening shows together and Joyce showed up for the art auction, where we sat together. It was as if God was bringing these two wandering Jews together with us. I told Phil that I had a special place in my heart for the Jews because they are God’s Chosen People. I told him that Jesus was the Messiah. They were very open to everything. They even invited us over to their house after the cruise to kill time before our flight, and then drove us to the airport! I certainly hope they come to trust Yeshua, their Messiah. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 25; Isaiah 47; Acts 13:13- To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Have you ever been recruited by a direct marketing company? Years ago, when I was in my twenties, Susan and I did. We signed up for _________, one of the mothers of all marketing companies. They know how to sell! Ordinary folks sign up with the dream that if they can just recruit a dozen people who will recruit a dozen people who will recruit a dozen people you’ll be financially set for life! It’s a brilliant strategy. While not technically a pyramid scheme, the resulting chart of recruitees does look like a pyramid and the beauty of it is that you get residual income from everyone below. The key to success is personally turning every person below you into a master recruiter. That takes time, training, personal interaction and “a little luck.” I’m not suggesting that you go sign up, on the contrary, I have a bone to pick with Direct Sales companies like this: THEY STOLE THE CONCEPT FROM JESUS! Jesus created the original pyramid scheme. He chose 12 disciples and spent three years training his “sales force.” He took the time to train them personally, and he was personally committed to each one of them. He prayed passionately for his dozen. Then he let them loose on the world! Now what do you suppose they did? They did what Jesus trained them to do. “Go and make Disciples of all nations!” They went out and found a dozen of their own disciples to train. They poured their lives into their disciples just as Jesus poured his life into them. Once they had trained their disciples, they sent each of them out to find a dozen others for themselves. Every person they won to the Lord was a potential disciple! And every disciple was a potential discipler of disciples! But somewhere along the line, this pyramid concept has been replaced by the western concept of the “chairman and board of directors.” In our churches we have one main discipler (the pastor) who is supported by a small group of leaders (teachers). They do all the discipling work on a large group scale! Now I’m not denying that the Apostles preached to the crowds as we should, I am suggesting that the main work of the ministry should be the training of disciples who will train disciples to train disciples! Everything we do in the large group is aimed at this! Either be a disciple or train a disciple. That’s the mandate! Isn’t it time that you found your twelve? Dear Father. I have been content to sit, soak and sour when all along I should have been passing the message on to others. I want to be a disciple, and I want to be a discipler! Give me a passion to reach individuals with the good news of the Gospel and then pour my life into them so that they can grow. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”-

10-21 Responding to Those who Doubt You

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:43:00 +0800

Cruise recap: On the last day of the cruise I sat on the floor of the ship near the stairs to avoid the tossing of the ship. What had been the smoothest ride ever ended with a day of rough seas. I was sitting, watching people walk up and down the stairs when Adriana - a random cruiser - flopped down on the floor next to me for a chat. One of the first things she said was, "do you believe in reincarnation?" I was a little stunned at the abruptness of the question. I answered, "I believe in resurrection." That began an hour long conversation about the gospel and Christianity. There we were sitting on the floor in this opulent ship talking about Jesus with dozens of curious people walking past on the stairwell! We talked about the trustworthiness of the Bible… she had never heard that it was trustworthy! The myth out there is that it is full of errors from copyists and multiple translations. She was surprised! We talked about the fact that God, not us has the right to determine how to get eternal life. She left with a lot to think about! Pray for Adriana. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 24; Isaiah 46; Acts 13:1-12 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. How do you react when people doubt you? Ever been hurt and had someone laugh it off? “Oh, come on, that didn’t hurt!” Like they would know. Or have you ever had someone express the opinion that you were faking an injury to get sympathy? I’m sure it happens. Just watch a professional soccer game. After they get the foul, they jump up like nothing ever happened! And then there’s the case where you share something factual and your friends look at you like you are from Mars! “Dude! That can’t be true!” What does doubt mean? That you aren’t trustworthy? That you are lying? Or just as distasteful, maybe they think you are incompetent, hallucinating or just plain deceived. The natural reaction to doubt is to become defensive and angry. They have just impugned your good reputation and character! “What? You don’t believe me???? I thought I was your friend? Isn’t friendship based on trust? If you don’t trust me, then I have nothing to say to you!” How did Jesus respond to the disciples doubt? “OK boys. Apparently I was wrong about appointing you as Apostles. All of you who doubt that I am really here in front of you right now, and instead think that this just an amazing magic trick complete with smoke and mirrors, can either man up or resign. Thomas, you first... YOU’RE FIRED! Anyone else? Come on. Line up and turn in your “Apostle” badge and business cards. You will be escorted off the mountain and will NOT get to see me ascend into heaven. GUARDS!” Jesus did nothing of the kind. Instead he calmly pointed out the obvious. If he was in front of them now, which he was… then, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me!” That’s a powerful antidote for doubt. What other explanation could there possibly be? How often do you get to talk to a dead man? Or in Jesus case a resurrected man! How about NEVER! So if it happens you are either dreaming, hallucinating, on drugs, confused… or Jesus really is who He says He is! If Jesus is really alive from the dead than HE IS GOD ALMIGHTY! Truth is a great antidote to doubt! Douse them with the truth and even the most skeptical of them will finally begin to really worship and energetically win the world for THE resurrected Savior. Dear Lord Jesus, I do believe that you died and came back to life. As incredible as that is, it is nothing if you are truly the almighty God. I would expect nothing less from the real thing. Thank you that I can trust you to have all authority and power in heaven and on earth! In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am

10-20 Worship of the Doubters

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:03:00 +0800

Cruise recap: The first night on the ship, Peter - Cruise Ship Staff, engaged me in an hour long conversation - he sells art. He told me about a complete stranger who paid for his lunch at Subway that same day. It completely blew him away! He really didn’t know how to handle it. "I just want to bless you!" the guy had said. So I told Peter how God gave his love gift Jesus to die for us to bless us! This is what really ought to blow us away! I told him that this “coincidence” was just a way God was doing to communicate His love to him. We talked about world religions that Peter had come into contact with, so I shared how Christianity is radically different: Every religion in the world requires good works to please God. Do enough of them and you are in. Christianity requires only one “work” - that we Trust Christ and accept his finished Work on the cross. I shared the gospel with him. He left really thinking about it. Pray for Peter. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 23; Isaiah 45; Acts 12 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Two words that don’t normally go together: Worship & Doubt. Is it possible for a doubter to worship? You tell me. Here’s the context, “they (the 11 disciples) worshiped him; but some doubted.” Did the doubters worship too or did they just doubt? And what was the doubt about? Every one of the four Gospels ends with a little snippet about doubt. The most well known story is of “doubting Thomas” in the book of John. He said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails …I will not believe." Mark’s tale of doubt is tied to the first appearance of Jesus to his eleven disciples. They had barricaded themselves behind locked doors for fear of the Sanhedrin. During dinner, Jesus appeared to them and “rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him” (Mark 16:14). It wasn’t just Thomas; it was all of them who doubted. Luke tells the same story and adds, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have" (Luke 24:38-39). Even then, “they still did not believe for joy” (verse 41). That was early on after the resurrection. That I can understand… but 40 days later after numerous appearances some still doubted?” Let me clarify, some of the ELEVEN DISCIPLES still doubted! They still doubted that it was possible for a dead man to come back to life. After all Jesus had done, even raising the dead during his ministry, they still doubted! So, is it possible for doubters to worship? Before I give my opinion, let’s observe one other thing. In three of the four gospels IMMEDIATELY AFTER noting the disciples doubt Jesus gave the great commission; Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15 and Luke 24:47. Jesus gave the commission to reach the world with the gospel to doubters! Not a good idea! If I’m going to entrust a great task to someone, I want him to be absolutely convinced of it. They doubted. So can doubters worship? I am reminded of the story of in Mark 9 of the father of the demon possessed child. When Jesus asked if he believed, he replied, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Apparently doubters can worship. And apparently doubters can turn the world upside down. In fact, I suggest one of the greatest antidotes to doubt ever is WORSHIP. Dear Father, I do believe! Help me in my unbelief. I will worship you when I am confident, and I will worship you when I doubt. Turn my doubts into joy and help me to channel my doubts into reaching the world with the good news about the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

10-15-09 Time with God

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:36:00 +0800

Today is October 15. This is time with God, I’m Dave sitting in for Pastor Dennis while he is on vacation - 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 Time With God. 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. Today’s quote is from Hudson Taylor, “Whatever is your best time in the day, give that to communion with God.” Today’s readings are from the New King James version; 1 Chronicles 21, Isaiah 43, and Acts 10. To Listen to today’s reading at: http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com Prayer The LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known. In wrath remember mercy. Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. You’ll find me at www.pinegrovecommunitychurch.com Dennis’ phone number is 541-672-7278 – or email him at info@pinegrovecommunitychurch.com Encouraging Verse There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus Let’s take 60 seconds to close your eyes and just focus on Jesus and his love for you. Draw near to God with all your heart and he will draw near to you. This is Time With God, for Pastor Dennis, I’m Dave.

10-14-09 Time with God

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:18:00 +0800

Today is October 14, this is Time with God, I’m Dave sitting in for Pastor Dennis while he is on vacation - 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. Today’s quote is from R. V. G. Tasker, “An essential condition of listening to God is that the mind should not be distracted by thoughts of resentment, ill-temper, hatred or vengeance, all of which are comprised in the general term, the wrath of man..” Today’s readings are from the New King James Version, 1 Chronicles 20, Isaiah 42, and Acts 9. To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com Daily Prayer The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; Lord we pray that you will send out laborers into His harvest. And help us to Love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and we pray for those who spitefully use us. If you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. We believe and do not doubt in, so we know the things we ask will be done, and we will have our requests. Encouraging Verse Cast your burden on the LORD and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

10-13-09 Time with God

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:11:00 +0800

Today is October 13, this is time with God, I’m Dave sitting in for Pastor Dennis while he is on vacation - 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 Today’s quote is from Andrew Murray “We are to be shut out from men, and shut in with God.” Today’s readings are from 1 Chronicles 19; Isaiah 41; Acts 9 Listen to Today’s Reading at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com Dave’s Daily Prayer Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Encouraging Verse: He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us

Time with God 10-12-09

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:39:00 +0800

Today is October 12, this is time with God, I’m Dave sitting in for Pastor Dennis while he is on vacation - 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. Today’s quote is from Robert A. Cook “Cut your morning devotions into your personal grooming. You would not go out to work with a dirty face. Why start the day with the face of your soul unwashed?” Today's Scripture reading is I Chronicles 18; Isaiah 40; and Acts 7 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com Dave’s Daily Prayer I pray that we may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass. I pray that our faith will not fail; and that if it does that we will return to Jesus, and strengthen each other. I pray that we may not enter into temptation. Father, if it is Your will, take life’s difficulties away from us; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. God, be merciful to me a sinner! Encouraging Verse: He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.

10-8 Why Does God Love Me?

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:32:00 +0800

“God saved me for a reason, and I want to know what it is!” While the cutest little long-haired dachshund wiener dog “Daisy Mae” played at my feet or on my lap, Don and I sat on his front porch and shot the breeze. The temperature was cool and invigorating in the morning, enough to keep my hands in my pockets, but not quite enough to make me shiver. Don is recovering nicely from his racing accident… except that his seventh vertebrae has begun to slant inward a little. Pray that it doesn’t slip any further. We all have a personal journey of discovery. We all ask the same question: “What does God want me to do with my life?” For starters, it would be to please Him, worship Him and serve Him! That’s why God has me on this earth. I better get at it! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 16; Isaiah 38; Acts 5:12-47 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 10:17-27 Now as Jesus was going out on the road, a man came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 "You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’" 20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." God so loved the world! John 3:16. Obviously, God doesn’t know my neighbors! They are like, totally unlovable! How could anyone love them? If He knew them, He would amend John 3:16! Do you think God loved Hitler? How about Ted Bundy? Does God love rapists? Terrorists? Does He love atheists? How about those Hindus in Andhra Pradesh, India who burned down the local Christian Church? Does he love them? Or the Islamic group that recently shot Ahmed Matan dead for converting to Christianity? When the Bible says that God loves everyone, is He serious? I can understand God pouring out His love on nice people and good folk, but to love the most vile, evil, despicable people of the world? That is beyond reasonable! And I can understand why Jesus might look at the rich young ruler and love him because at least they guy was trying! So how does God love the worst the world has to offer? God doesn’t look at the world the same way we do. When I look out of my human eyes I evaluate everything from where I stand. A lot of us think, “I’m better than most, and not as good as some… but I rate pretty good on the human evolutionary scale of goodness.” Let’s just say that people who live in Roseburg, Oregon are good folk. We’ll represent their goodness by marking it on the elevation scale… Our goodness = 500 feet above sea level. We have 500 feet of goodness. And let’s say that the people who live in Death Valley represent the dregs of society. The worst of the worst live at 282 feet BELOW sea level. Compared to me, they are pretty bad. Do the math, they are 782 feet worse than I am! And let’s say that the best of us live in Denver, a mile high, 5281 feet up! Woah! Some people are really good! I can see how God can love them, and I can even see how God can love me. But the people in Death Valley! They are bad! Now let’s get God’s perspective. Let’s say, for example, that God’s standard is the moon! The moon is 238,857 miles above us! When I stand on the moon, the goodness of the best and the badness of the worst don’t really seem much different. None of them come anywhere near God’s standard of perfection. As bad as I am in comparison to perfection, I guess the real question should be, “Why does God love me?” Read John 3:16. Without it, there isn’t any hope for any of us! Dear Lord. Help me to see things from your perspective. I have been measuring life from my point of view and it has left a skewed picture of what the world is really like. Help me to love like you love. Thank you for loving me even though I don’t deserve it! Thanks. If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me

10-7 Things that are Impossible

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:31:00 +0800

Susie, one of our Time With God subscribers writes: As you may have heard, there was an earthquake and a tsunami in American Samoa. Two of the linemen that I work with are natives of Samoa. They still have extended family there, so EWEB is flying them down there to help out with rebuilding the power system or doing other relief work. Tavita's family is all accounted for, but Eddie's family is missing a couple of uncles. Eddie is from a smaller island that was devastated by the flood waters. Tavita is from the Pago Pago area and it sounds like they lived inland, away from most of the devastation. Tavita's sister worked in the harbor and on her way to work, she saw that the harbor was completely drained of water; boats lying on their sides. She turned around and started running back up the hill.....she is safe. Eddie and Tavita will leave on Sunday and be gone for 4-6 weeks. Lane Electric and EPUD are also sending some personnel down to help. Please pray for their safety and that God will be able to touch the hearts of my coworkers with His love. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 15; Isaiah 37; Acts 5:1-11 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 10:17-27 Now as Jesus was going out on the road, a man came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 "You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’" 20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." Things that are impossible: It is impossible to turn common backyard dirt into gold… Rats! And I was hoping to get rich off of it. It is impossible for you to fly on your own. Don’t try this at home. The last time someone jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge he dropped like a rock! Splat. Water feels like concrete after a 746 foot plunge! It is impossible for you to create your own reality using nothing more than the power of positive thinking. It works ok until your reality bumps into someone else’s reality, or dinner time comes. Imaginary food won’t satisfy real cravings. It is impossible for a rich man to get into heaven. In fact it is impossible for any man to “save” himself! With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God, all things are possible. Is God really “all powerful?” Is anything possible with God? Can God lie? Can God do evil? Can God create a rock so big that he can’t lift it? “Listen!” the argument goes, “if there is even one thing God can’t do, then he’s not all powerful. If he can’t tell a lie or do evil, he’s not omnipotent, and therefore not God!” Prosecuting attorney, “Are you God?” “Yes.” “Can you tell a lie.” “No.” “Then you are not all powerful.” (smothered laughter from God). Attorney. “So, God, what’s the big deal about a lie? Even the wimpiest human in the world can tell one.” “You really want to know?” “Yes.” God: “If I was to tell a lie or do evil, I would NOT be God. If I were not God, there would be no more universe… it would come apart at the seams. “Big Bang.” If there were no more universe, you wouldn’t be here asking me these stupid questions! Anything else you want to know?” But here’s the deal. God doesn’t need to lie or do evil to get his purposes accomplished! He is so powerful can even use other people’s lies and can use the evil that other people do to get the job done! He’s in complete control. That’s because he’s God. God can even save the unsavable by human definition. That’s why there’s hope for the rich man… and hope for me. “Whew!” Dear Father. I am in awe of your unlimited power. I don’t comprehend such boundless energy. You are the almighty God and I will worship you. You are a loving God and I need you. Thanks for your promise of eternal life. I realize that there is no greater gift to fill my greatest need. You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in the LORD, is everlasting strength

10-6 The Gospel for the Rich

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:59:00 +0800

Notes. They are everywhere. 3 X 5 colored index cards. There is one on the bed, one by the clock, one on the pellet stove, one in my referee bag, one in my sock drawer, one in my car, one inside my laptop, one on the milk… who knows where else I’ll find another card! Susan left them. Not with “honey dew” stuff on them… they are the sweetest little love notes you ever did see! Susan is gone for a few days to Washington, and she didn’t want me to forget her! So she left some reminders… “Think of me… I love you… socks done with care…” and on and on ad-nauseam! Aren’t you jealous! What a sweetheart! I think I’ll text her and tell her how much I miss her! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 14; Isaiah 36; Acts 4 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 10:17-27 Now as Jesus was going out on the road, a man came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 "You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’" 20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." Is this the Gospel message: “You must give all you own to the poor and follow Jesus to enter the kingdom of heaven?” That isn’t the Gospel message I was taught. In fact it appears to be contrary to so many other passages which clearly and explicitly state, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy has He saved us…” “Not of works, so that no one can boast…” “Now to him that does not work, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Charitable giving is a work, it’s “good works.” But we are saved by faith, not works! Why then did Jesus tell the rich man that he had to give all his possessions away? Is there one Gospel for us poor folk and another for the rich? Hey, I have an idea! Maybe I can find a desperate rich man who will give his possessions to me so that he can enter the kingdom! That would be a “win – win” situation for both of us. Do you think he’d go for it? I kind of doubt it. But Jesus had other followers who were rich and he didn’t command them to sell their homes and businesses. So why, then, did Jesus set up such a stringent requirement for this particular man? He knew his heart. As Randy Alcorn stated, “None of us can enthrone the true God unless we dethrone our other gods.” The rich young ruler was serving his money. Riches and financial security was his god. He loved his money more than he loved God! When Money Has You, God does not. Jesus was trying to get him to see that he had broken the law and was really spiritually broke and in need of a savior! But the bottom line is that even if the rich young ruler had given away everything it still wouldn’t have been enough to get into heaven. What he needed to do was surrender himself, his riches, his family… everything he had to God. Isn’t that what TRUST is all about? When you say that you Trust Christ as Savior, you are saying that nothing else can do the job. There is no one else out there who can don a cape and Savior suite and rescue us… and that includes YOU, and it includes Me, and it includes one of the things we depend on the most for safety and security: money! Let it all go. To really trust Jesus, we must not trust anything else. It must be Christ and Christ alone! Dear Lord Jesus, I need a Savior. I am in desperate need of saving. I have floundered around on my own looking for solutions in many places to my spiritual needs… only you can provide the solution. Thanks for your Saving Grace. I place my complete faith and trust in you. Nothing else will do. “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”-

10-2 Life Without Boundaries

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:24:00 +0800

“In the past God has made nations into Monkeys... I am superior to… Christians and Jews... they follow satin. I am no more a Monkey. Isn’t it wisdom?” Zeeshan, a Muslim is reading Time With God. We’ve been having a conversation on the TWG forum on my 8/26 posting “The Oldest Book Ever Written.” It’s really quite interesting. Now he wants to know two things. #1 Can I prove the existence of the God I believe in and #2 Which was the first guide book revealed to humans? If it is the Bible, what took Him so long? As to #1, there is overwhelming evidence to the existence of God… Jesus Christ being God in the flesh (short answer) and as to #2 Muhammad didn’t enter into history until 570 AD! Judaism had already been in existence 1500 years by that time And Christianity for 500 years! The Quaran was not collected and put together until 653 AD, twenty years after Muhammad’s death. If it’s history you want the Judeo / Christian record speaks for itself. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 12:19-40; Isaiah 34; Acts 2:15-47 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 10:17-27 Now as Jesus was going out on the road, a man came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 "You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’" 20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." Live life without boundaries! Imagine a life where people are completely free to think, act and do as they wish, free from religious and societal boundaries… it’s either excessively Utopian or an absolute Hell. That was the message of the “Legendary Life Blog” I just read. I just don’t get the life without boundaries philosophy. People have been doing their own thing since Adam! History is replete with free thinkers who have started new revolutions to overthrow the old guard. There’s nothing new about individualism and free-thinking. It’s as ancient as sin. Adam tried it, he ate the whole enchilada! “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” It’s amazing what just one bite will do. The Children of Israel tried it. “Every man did what was right in his own eyes.” But believe me, it didn’t result in utopia! It never does. It resulted in societal chaos and slavery. Boundaries may feel restrictive and suffocating, but believe me, a fence around the yard for a four year old is the safest way to go! Look, we were built for boundaries. There are some places humans should never go. Experimentation in the vices is like drinking “acid and lemonade!” Not only does it leave a foul taste in the mouth, but it has devastating effects! And humans instinctively know that. We may deny it, protest it, legislate it away or file a suit against it, but deep down, even the most calloused knows that wrongdoing is wrong. God put the law of the conscience in every single person that ever lived. So when you lust, you KNOW it’s wrong, even if you want to lust anyway. And when you hate, you KNOW it’s wrong, even if you want to hate. And when you are jealous of Jessica Alba’s looks or Bill Gates riches, or the neighbor’s new i-pod, you KNOW it’s wrong. Yet, even the best of us sinners, as hard as we try to hide our sin must admit to failing the Ten Commandment test. Once you take the test, “every mouth is stopped, and all the world is guilty before God.” Romans 3:19. Guilt is good. It drives us to the realization of how much we really need God! Dear Father. I know I’m a sinner. I once thought I’d grow out of it, but now I know my problems will be here to heckle me all my life. That’s why I need you. I just can’t overcome these things unless you are with me. Thanks for the love, grace and power to live a life that is liberating because we are bound to you. “Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”-

10-1 Are You A Law Abiding Citizen?

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:48:00 +0800

“My husband wants to talk to you.” I had just spent five minutes talking to Darrion’s mom about Awana. She wanted to know where it was, how long they would be there, how many adults were there… I was a stranger to her and she wanted to make certain her children were safe with me. I opened my window and he began to ask me questions. It’s a parent thing. It’s a good thing. Johnny’s mother was standing on the other side of the car. “So Johnny goes to this thing?” he asked. “Oh yeah. Every week. He loves it!” That sealed the deal. There’s nothing better than a personal testimonial or a satisfied “customer.” So here’s what happened next. Instead of picking up four kids (the max for my car) we buckled in six! HELP! My car is over the max. I need another set of wheels! Pray about it, would you! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 12:1-18; Isaiah 33; Acts 2:1-14 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 10:17-27 Now as Jesus was going out on the road, a man came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 "You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’" 20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." Are you a law abiding Christian? How about a legalist? Is there a difference? The Law / Grace tension is one we constantly grapple with. Should Christians break the law? No. Should Christians keep “The Law?” That question makes some of us wiggle with discomfort. We don’t want to say “no!” Of course Christians should be law abiding citizens. But we feel like we have to qualify our “yes” with a “but…” but not to gain favor with God… but not as a matter of spiritual status… but the law was O.T. and I am N.T… but I am not under Law, but under Grace. For the Christian it’s a matter of perspective and a matter of the heart. I obey - not out of duty, not out of fear that if I don’t measure up I won’t get enough brownie points with God and thus be shut out of heaven… my obedience flows from love! I don’t want to hurt my Savior. I don’t want to disappoint Jesus! I want to please the one I love the most. The whole law is fulfilled in two commandments: #1 Love God with all your heart #2 Love your neighbor as yourself. But how do we apply this Law / Grace tension to the unbeliever? Should we avoid the perception that we are a “religion of rules and regulations” and instead portray the church as a “love fest” for Jesus? “We just love everybody. We don’t tell anyone they are wrong or sinful.” Enter Jesus. “You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ And there is the implied consequence “I hope you have not broken them, because if you have, you are in serious trouble with God!” Isn’t that the message of The Law, that we have serious trouble with God? Maybe we’ve tried too hard to evangelize by telling people that “God has a wonderful plan for your life” (and he REALLY does) but have failed to start where people are… “Friend, you just ain’t cutting it! The Law is here to convict you of your sin!” Once you evangelize with the Law, then you can evangelize with the Gospel! Dear Lord Jesus. I do love you. But I am afraid that so often my love falls short! I’m half hearted. I’m not into you as much as I should be. My focus is elsewhere. There are other things that have the corner on my heart! I do want my love for you to be the most passionate thing in my life. Increase my faith and my love I pray! You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”-

9-29 Things Worth Running For

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:52:00 +0800

Like ships passing in the dark. I woke up about 3:30 AM. Yawn! Susan had a dream, got up, went to the door and peered out. “What are you doing?” I asked. “Dreaming,” she said and went back to bed. But now I was awake. I sort of dreamed about winning millions of dollars, but that didn’t last long. After a half hour I gave up and got up. Shaphen was sitting on the couch catching the tail end of a cage fighting marathon. “Isn’t it a little past your bed time?” I asked. His eyes fluttered open. He had been asleep. I sat down on the couch as he got up to go to bed. Both of us looked a little like zombies… or perhaps like ships passing in the dark. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 10; Isaiah 31; John 21 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 10:17-27 Now as Jesus was going out on the road, a man came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 "You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’" 20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." Things I run for. A few weeks ago Susan took off with the truck and trailer to pick up a load of gravel. Just as she drove off, I noticed that the trailer gate hadn’t been put back on. Knowing that she had to take a circuitous route, I took off running to catch her. I took a short cut up a gravel hill. I was only about ten yards away from the road when she drove by. I yelled, waived my hands and jumped up and down, but she never did see me. It wasn’t worth running for. With cotton mouth, I heaved heavily for several minutes. If I’m going to run that hard, it has to be for something really important! And besides, that’s what they make cell phones for. I guess running like that is reserved for something really important. Imagine you are in Jesus time… no cell phones. If you want to catch someone, you have to run. The pastor is walking by your house. “Hey Joe! Didn’t you want to talk to the pastor about an important spiritual question? Well he just walked up the block, if you go now, you might be able to catch him!” “Nah! No spiritual question could be that important!” But one young rich man had a question that was burning a hole in his pocket book. Maybe Jesus had the answer! So he took off running! How far and how fast was he willing to run? Was he just a block away? A half a mile? Or did he have to run a marathon to catch Jesus? What was so important that he had to run to catch the teacher? Huffing and puffing and heaving he stopped before Jesus, and fell to the ground… the Bible says he knelt, but I’m taking a few literary liberties. (gasp!) “Jesus!” (gasp, heave, gasp) “I need (gasp) to know (more gasping) how can I have eternal life?” What a question! It is THE question. There is no more important question in the universe. How come people don’t come running up to me with that question? How come the whole world isn’t running to church to find the answer? This is the one question that is worth the run. I hope you’ve got your Nike’s on. Just Do It! Dear Jesus, I come to you with the important questions because You are THE answer. You are worth the run. I want you more than anything, please give me the gift of eternal life. Thanks for always being “catchable” by those of us who pursue you! I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers

9-25 Does God Want You?

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:37:00 +0800

Got Friends? Susie wrote me yesterday… “Wow! Excellent devotional thoughts this morning. When I count off my friends....I find godliness. Thank you, Jesus! These people have helped me grow soooo much over the last 10 years. I am amazed at the amount of faith they have instilled in my life. They spur me on to good works and to live righteously. I am truly blessed. … Yesterday you were fixing a sewer and I was living in one. Office politics caused things to become rather "stinky" here yesterday.....and it isn't going away as quickly as your mess. I am not directly involved...I just get to see the pollution of a large company.....I needed the reminder that my "friends" are not here at work....but at church. We will be together for eternity....and those lives are where I can make the most difference.” Thanks for the encouragement Susie! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 8; Isaiah 29; John 19:17-42 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 3:13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Does God want you? I was reading this passage over again and noticed that “Jesus called those he wanted.” There are some heavy implications here! Does God want you? Does not God want everyone? “God does not want any to perish, but he wants all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). Jesus cried out many times for those who would not come to him, “Come unto me ALL you who are weary… and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:29). “For God so loved THE WORLD!” Does God want everyone? “Yes.” But that’s not exactly what this is talking about. This is talking about a deeper relationship with Him. This is talking about leadership. God calls all to salvation and some heed that call. God calls all Christians to follow him and some follow. God calls all his followers to be disciples and some take up their cross and count the cost. But apparently, when it comes to choosing his inner circle, he only invites a few. Does God want all of us in his inner circle? Probably. But we have to ask several hard questions about leadership that need answering. Is everyone EQUIPPED to be a leader? Perhaps not. Is everyone READY to lead? Some are not yet at that point, but may be in the future. Would anybody and everybody make a good leader? Probably not. Does God want every Christian in his inner circle? If we mean “does God wish the best for us,” then the answer is YES! He wants us all to reach the highest potential and become all we can possibly be. He desires all of us. But if we mean that God is looking at this from a practical viewpoint, realizing that some are better suited than others for the inner circle, than, no, God does not want all of us to be numbered with the 12. It isn’t a matter of love, because Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary, Martha, the rich young ruler, and the world. It’s a matter of selecting those best suited for the job. And think of who they were! Some were not well educated, like Peter, James and John the fishermen. They were the “top three!” Matthew was a despised tax collector. Simon was a Zealot who on any other occasion would have slit Matthew’s throat given the chance. And then there was Judas Iscariot. Do you think Jesus knew he would betray him? Yes. But he chose him anyway. He was a pretty good treasurer for a while! We don’t always know who or why God chooses for his inner circle… perhaps it could be you! Does God want you? Dear Lord Jesus. I know you desire me, and I also desire you. I want to be all you want me to be. I want to follow your plan for my life whatever that may be. Reveal it I pray. Draw me to the place you desire me to be. I want what you want. Let me see it clearly and take every step toward your will you reveal. “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”-

9-24 The Unchanging Message of Preaching

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:29:00 +0800

Frank peered back and forth through the front glass doors of the church. Apparently he couldn’t see Gerald and I standing a few feet away. I unlocked the doors and let him in. “I read your article in the paper, I’m an Episcopalian… I want to find out more about your church… I’m more of an agnostic than a Christian!” So why do you go to church? “Because it’s comfortable!” I asked Gerald to share how he came to faith in Christ! God has transformed him. Then I quickly summarized the Gospel – Heaven is a free gift. Trust Him! “That’s why I lean to agnosticism… I struggle with faith. I don’t know if I believe strong enough!” Pray for Frank! He says he’ll come visit us this Sunday. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 7:20-; Isaiah 28; John 19:1-16 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 3:13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Some things never change… and they shouldn’t. Change is bad. Some things must change… and they should. Change is good! Take preaching for example. People have been preaching since, well, Noah. I think he’s really the first example of preaching we have in the Bible. While styles of preaching vary, preaching is, well, it’s preaching. Noah did it. So did Elijah. Ezra was a preacher, so was John the Baptist and Jesus. Jesus sent the twelve out to preach and we’ve been preaching ever since. Paul noted that God is pleased to save people “through the foolishness of preaching.” Some people are “hell, fire and brimstone preachers” and others are more conversational. Regardless of style, preaching is meant to clearly communicate the message that Heaven is a free gift. Preaching should center on Jesus Christ and the Gospel and then encompass “the whole counsel of God!” Be careful NOT to change the message. Change is bad. But some things must change! In fact the unchanging message of preaching is that you’d better change or else! Change is our watchword. If you are not constantly changing for the good, you’re slipping backwards! The whole idea of repentance is about changing our mind. We have many fallacious beliefs and habits that need to be challenged. They must change! We must not attempt to change the truth of God’s message, but we must constantly challenge the traditions that man has established. Traditions must change that are contrary to God’s word. Jesus constantly threw manmade traditions out the window "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3). Paul warned in Col 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Change is good! Here’s the bottom line – Be a conservative as far as the truth is concerned, “Don’t Change! Change is bad!” Be a progressive as far as sin and manmade tradition is concerned, “You must change! Change is good!” Dear Father. Please change me! I am seriously in need of reformation and regeneration! I want to change to become more and more like your unchangeable Son, Jesus! And Lord help me to stand for things that should not change… like your Word and your Truth! Help me to embrace change when needed and withstand change where truth is at stake. And give me the discernment to know the difference! “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”-

9-23 Got Friends?

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:05:00 +0800

“Ough! What is that?” Ken, Evie and I were peering into their septic porthole! It wasn’t a pretty sight. The pleasant aroma of septic swill hovered in the morning breeze, effecting a retching sensation that began deep in the gut. Their drain pipes were clogged and I was “supervising” the clean out process, having had many years of experience myself. Ken pointed to a spider underneath the deck. “Do you see how big that thing is! That’s a brown recluse!” Ken is deathly afraid of spiders, but he dutifully crawled under the deck to shove the hose with bladder attachment down the cleanout valve. A half hour later we finally broke through. Mission accomplished. The stuck is now unstuck and I got to go back to work. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 7:1-19; Isaiah 27; John 18:19-40 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 3:13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Who do you like to hang out with? On one hand, name your closest friends. Think for a moment. Ok, got them? Show me your friends and I will show you your future. Birds of a feather will… you know the rest of the saying. Every so often we need to seriously examine our relationships and ask ourselves the difficult questions: “Are my friends good for me? Are my relationships drawing me closer to God or do they pull me away from Him? Am I hanging on to detrimental relationships because of the fear of being alone, because I am afraid of the pain of separation or some other faulty reason? Is there someone I admire that I can seek out to establish a new and better relationship with? Why haven’t I done that?” Do the hard things. They are sometimes very difficult and painful, but they yield the greatest benefits. The Apostles were attracted to Jesus. They followed him. When He called, they came. He chose them “that they might be with him…” Jesus knew the value of mentoring, he knew the power of positive relationships. He knew that you must make sure that your closest friends share your most cherished values. If not, you are in for a rocky ride. If so, you will develop into a person of robust faith. My suggestion? Name a few people that you admire for their walk with God, their values and their all around godly sensibility. Now, purposely set out to develop a friendship with those people. It may take some time, effort and some trial and error, but it will be worth it. Your choices determine what you will become. Make the best choices possible. One of the most significant paths to godliness is through your choice of friends. If you want to get on the fast track to good character, choose better people to hang around with. To become like Jesus, choose friends who want to be like Him. Dear Father. Please help me to be wise in my choice of friends. I do want to become like you, yet I am carrying some baggage from poor decisions of the past. Help me to make a break from detrimental relationships when necessary. Help me to seek out godly friends. Help me to do the difficult things. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal

9-22 Are You an apostle?

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:17:00 +0800

“So then you’re Cathity?” My neighbor had stopped by to chat about our concrete project. Another 8 foot section done. “We saw you in the paper. Great write up. We almost came to your anniversary celebration.” “Do you attend church?” I asked. “Well I grew up Catholic and John went to the Unity Church… so we really don’t go anywhere now.” (thus the Cathity comment). We talked for a long time about her background in the Catholic Church and about our Concrete and about our houses… Hey, we’re making progress in friendship. Pray that it will come around to the Gospel! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 6:49-81; Isaiah 26; John 18:1-18 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Mark 3:13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Are you an apostle? What? I thought that there were only 12 Apostles (or 13 if you figure for Paul and Matthias in place of Judas). True and False. TRUE: there are no more living Apostles. In order to be an Apostle, you had to have observed Jesus ministry, death and resurrection (Acts 1:21-22). Paul claimed that he was an Apostle, “born out of due time.” After the last living Apostle died, - the Apostle John - the office of Apostle died with him. …there are no more living apostles… FALSE: there are many “apostles” alive today. (note the emphasis on the little “a” in apostle). While the office of Apostle (big “A”) no longer exists, the function of the apostle (little “a”) most certainly does. So, are you an apostle? Let me explain how it works. In Jesus ministry there were thousands who followed him around. These we will call the crowd. They ranged from curiosity seekers to solid believers. Some of those in the crowd became devoted followers or disciples. Jesus had a core group of about 72 who followed him, learned from him, served him and were faithful to him. Out of the 72 Jesus chose 12 to be part of the core group of disciples. These 12 men were intended to go beyond discipleship. They were meant to take the next step. They would become apostles. The word “apostle” means “one who is sent.” This was part of the maturing process. They had grown in discipleship and were now meant to be official emissaries of Jesus. They went out on their own, temporarily at first …and did what Jesus did: they preached, performed miracles and sought to raise up other disciples. After they were fully trained, they would then become official apostles or “Rabbi’s” just like Jesus was. Then they would raise up other disciples who would be sent out and become apostles like them. So the question is, “are you an apostle?” Have you made the commitment to Christ to lay down your life for him and learn from him (disciple)? That’s great. We need more disciples. Not every Christian is a disciple, but every disciple is a Christian. Now the next step is that you would be sent out as an apostle to make disciples. When you have reached a mature state you were meant to become a disciple maker. Somehow, in Christianity, we’ve lost sight of this goal. Somehow we’ve got to get it back. Wherever you are in your commitment to Christ… curiosity seeker, believer or disciple, take the next step. Dear Lord Jesus, I want to follow you. I want to take the next step of maturity in my life and become all you want me to be. I am not satisfied to just seek you, though seeking is good… I am not satisfied simply to follow and learn, I want to be a disciple maker. Mature me so that I can fulfill my calling in life. The Lord bless you; we bless you in the Lord’s name.”

9-21 Necessary Body Art

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:53:00 +0800

For those who did not make it to our anniversary celebration, it was a day of joy! What great fun reminiscing about the 150 + years out here at the Pine Grove. Our history reaches back before the Civil War! We had a houseful of folks who came to wish us well. We took a tour of history in the new building, thanks to Susan, saw the Pine Grove video in the sanctuary, tied an historic quilt in the Sunday School wing, had a fabulous BBQ and enjoyed a great concert with the Knox Brothers in the Amphitheater. We had folks come to celebrate from miles around, people who had their roots in Pine Grove. We also had many who said, “I’ve never been to Pine Grove, but I read the article in the paper and I wanted to help you celebrate!” Thanks to all who came… I know many others wanted to be there but could not. Thanks to all. Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 6:31-49; Isaiah 25; John 17 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. I used to have an old curmudgeon for a teacher in one of my High School classes. I can’t remember his name, but he was tall, lanky, had no use for TV because “the plots were so simplistic and lame” and I remember one other complaint of his: he thought that people who wore “advertisements” on their shirts were ridiculous. But nowadays everyone has a brand name, saying or picture on their shirt! “Property of San Quinton Physical Ed Dept” or some other meaningless motto. But we have moved way beyond that. Forget the shirts, now we have body art! It’s common to see people tattooed from head to toe, and many more with a single tattoo or two on arm or leg. It’s the “new identity” movement. People want to advertise who they are on their body. Want to know how someone feels about himself or others? Get close enough to read. In heaven, we’ll have just one “tattoo.” It will be “The Name!” HIS Name. The Jews have a thing they call the "Nomen Tetragrammaton," otherwise known as the unpronounceable name of God. The Tetragrammaton was the four consonants in the Holy Name of God – the vowels had purposely been removed so that no one could pronounce God’s ineffable name. The four letters were YHWH. Today we pronounce it Yaweh or Jehovah, but both are just a guess. But in Heaven, we’ll have “His Name” on our foreheads. Will it be the Tetragrammaton? No way! It will be the full name, and I don’t think it will be Jehovah or Yahweh either. My thought? It will be the name JESUS! He is the Lamb. He came to reveal the Father. “He who has seen me has seen the Father!” When we get to heaven, the one piece of body art REQUIRED for entrance is the name of Jesus tattooed permanently and visibly on our forehead. “Property of Jesus Christ – forever!” Personally? I’m going to wait for that day before I do body art. Dear Father, I am yours. Property of Jesus Christ. I will serve You. Send me where you wish. I will say whatever message you give me. I am proud to be your child. I can’t wait to enter into your presence in joy! "Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

9-18 The Most Beautiful Place in the World

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:18:00 +0800

It was an extremely busy day and it didn’t seem like I did much at all. I did spend a little time in the office in the morning, but then it was off to the races. A photographer and reporter from the News Review spent a few hours with me talking about the history and anniversary of Pine Grove! It should be in the paper today from what I understand! Check it out. Then I set up the new building for Sunday’s service. I just finished setting up chairs and getting the sound system ready when it was time to run off to a rip-roaring soccer game! Wow that was a running game! Roseburg won handily. Finally I came back to church for music practice. When I got home that night it was pushing 8:30 PM! Busy! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 6:1-30; Isaiah 24; John 16 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. I think the most beautiful waters I have ever seen are in the Caribbean. Their crystal clear waters look a turquoise blue for miles around. They harbor a fascinating variety of multicolored fish and coral that makes your head spin! And the pure white sands of the beach are enough to get you doing an exotic dance, put up an umbrella and sip on a cool lemonade. Can heaven beat this? Hands down! In case you asked the question, “are there rivers, streams, trees etc in heaven,” the answer is a resounding “YES!” Somewhere in the New Jerusalem there is a throne room where Father and Son reside, and where the flame of the Spirit is present. From their majestic throne, flows a pure river of life, clear as crystal! Beat that for majesty and beauty! …a tranquil stream running down the banks of the New Jerusalem landscape. And trees! The most amazing and unique trees ever! The Water of Life flows past the Tree of Life, a tree that grows on both sides of the river! This tree bears a new fruit once a month! Every “year” it bears twelve kinds of fruit! Even its leaves are unique! They bring healing to the nations. Why the water and why the trees? Because God delights in pictures that tell stories. The Tabernacle of the Old Testament is a picture of how to approach God. The Lion of Judah is a picture of King Jesus. The Lamb of God is a picture of Christ’s sacrifice for us. The water of life is a picture of Eternal Life. We can go only a few days without water! Jesus told the Samaritan woman “whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never thirst. But the water that I give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." And the tree of life is also a picture of immortality. Trees provide shade and food. Fruit has amazing healthful benefits as do some leaves of some trees. If you don’t eat for about a month, you’ll starve to death. In the middle of the Garden of Eden was the Tree of Life. God banned Adam and Eve from eating it. Christ “died on the tree of life” to pay the price for our sins. In our new home we will have the source of immortality and eternal life abundantly available flowing and growing in profusion. But don’t miss the source! They flow from the throne of God. Eternal life comes from Jesus Christ! Dear Lord Jesus, I want your living water, so that I may never thirst again! Thanks for the beautiful vision of a heaven of crystal clear waters and beautiful trees that enrich my forever home! I can’t wait to go exploring the vast expanses of nature you’ve planted there! You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

9-17 I Want that Pearl!

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:01:00 +0800

There was a loud rapping on the front door. It was the Sherriff! “Did he come to serve you papers?” asked Evie? No arrests here. I had invited Sherriff John Hanlin to be our guest at our 140th anniversary celebration. He stopped by personally to say he just could not make it! He grew up in Dixonville, down the street, so Pine Grove is part of his childhood memories even though he was Episcopalian back then. He has memories of many of the people here. He went to school with Kyle and Marcia. He remembered Roy Kellar, one of our previous pastors. Sure was nice of him to stop by! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 5; Isaiah 23; John 15 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml T Today’s thought comes from Revelation 21:12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel… 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb… 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. “Something old and something new, something borrowed and something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” I don’t know if you followed this wedding tradition when you got married, I don’t think we did. I’ll have to ask Susan. It is an interesting idea of combining the past with the future, of getting the best out of life from others, from joy and the hope of prosperity. In the New Jerusalem, we are the Bride. The gates and the foundations illustrate the “something old and something new” concept. From the Old Testament, we have the names of twelve tribes of Israel. The Old Testament Believers will be welcome in the city. It will be their home. From the New Testament we have the names of the twelve Apostles. It will be our home too! In heaven, Israel and the church will finally live in harmony together! Everywhere we walk, we will walk in the light of the Lamb. We will have free reign to walk anywhere in or out of the city. There will be no “off limits” places to any of us. The city is ours to explore and enjoy. Notice there is no “need” for sun or moon… does that mean there will be none? We will bring the glory and honor of the nations into the city. Any of the kings of the earth who are saved will gladly serve the King of Kings. Jesus will have a court of officials like no other king of any age! Of the saved, there will be kings, presidents, dictators, Supreme Court members, generals, officers, mayors, governors and every other worldly official, all willingly bowing to Christ and giving him all the glory and honor due him. You will bow before him and give him glory and honor as will I. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! We will walk in it, we will bring the glory of the nations into it, and we will enter it. What is required for entry? “Only those written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” That is contrasted with “anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie.” Once our name is written there, the Lamb slain washes our sins away with his blood and makes us white as snow. It’s the only way you could possibly enter into his gates. And get this: every gate is a single pearl carved into a gate or just created that way! Amazing. I can’t wait to walk through one of them pearls! Jesus is the pearl of great price. He is the only way into heaven. Get that pearl for yourself! Dear Jesus. I believe you are the way, the truth and the life. I will enter into heaven’s gates through You! You are the pearl of great price. I would have the riches of a relationship with you for myself. All the glory and honor that has been given to me, I give back to you, to bow at your feet and to confess that you are Lord of Lords and King of Kings! For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

9-16 So You Want to be Rich?

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:44:00 +0800

Carl & Sonja are two of the nicest folks I have ever met in my life. They’d do just about anything for you, and they often have. They have always been great friends and supporters. Life would be so much better if it was peopled by more of their clones. But there were a few tears yesterday. First from Sonja, then from Carl… just enough to see them well up in their eyes. Sonja’s mother is going the way of all the world… she’s ready to go home. She’s lived a long life and she knows Jesus. It’s still not easy to see her go. They took off yesterday evening to take the long drive to Portland to see her one last time. It’s hard for us to see the saints say goodbye. We just wish they’d always be here like in the good old days. The more that my friends go home, the more ready I am to follow. Hey, save a place for me up there! Today's Scripture reading is 1 Chronicles 4:24-43; Isaiah 22; John 14 To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com to subscribe go to http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com/rss.xml Today’s thought comes from Revelation 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb… 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Do you want to be rich? I wouldn’t mind winning the lottery, except, you know what they say: “You can’t win if you don’t play!” I’ve thought about making lots of money in the Stock Market, but Wall Street is smarter than I am. I guess I’ll never be a millionaire! …unless you compare me to the folks in third world countries. Did you know that the average man in India makes less than $500 per year! And half of that goes to food! I don’t know if that makes me feel richer or makes me amazed at how poor they are! What if there was another way to riches? What if you were to inherit more riches than you could possibly dream of! It could happen. It could happen to the poor Believer in India, Asia, South America or any Believer, and it will! The New Jerusalem is our inheritance. And if you haven’t already noticed, it is chocked full of precious metals! Jasper is pretty common, worth about $20 a pound, but what if you had a million miles of it! The walls of our new home are made of Jasper and gold! And how about the floor? There are twelve different types of precious stones that make up the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem… here are some of them: Sapphire: up to $5000 per karat. Chalcedony: about $80 for a ½ inch gem. Emerald: the Bahai Emerald weighing 850 pounds is worth $370 million dollars! Imagine what an entire foundation would be worth! Sardonyx: worth about $300 for a small cameo. Beryl: Red Beryl is estimated to be worth 1000 times more than gold! Topaz: a 24 Karat Topaz is worth about $1,200. And the streets are paved with translucent gold! Right now Gold is almost $1000 an ounce! What is rare in our world is common in the next. Even the riches of the richest man in the world (Bill Gates – worth 40 billion!) will seem paltry compared to the poorest of saints in the New Jerusalem. Don’t get too hung up on riches in this life. One day you will be a Trillionaire… and not just for life… forever! Dear Father. I can’t imagine all the riches that await me. I will have so much that I will have need of nothing but you! Thanks for your promise of a life of joy that awaits me after this life that has poverty, sorrow and sadness. What a great promise. I need nothing but you! Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.