Prayer invites an anointing that demonstrates to a watching world that Jesus is not dead. Still, the underemphasized miracle in the Book of Acts is the transformation in the lives of the believers and the community that was cradled in love and defined by truth. That community—holy, humble, unified, full of the Spirit—was a miracle. We need a miracle that transforms the character of the contemporary church and makes us Christlike, loads our branches with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Doug Small
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
More Nehemiah Notes (Ch. 8)
Nehemiah knew that more than rebuilding the wall was required. Revival (recommitment to God’s Word and way) was essential to put the people back on track more than restoring civic life.
He knew there would be no true or lasting success if God wasn’t at the center of his life and everyone he led.
The people he led were in need of the Word desperately. For him, to bring the people to a point of hunger and passion for the Word was essential to their well-being. Just rebuilding the walls would have been a failure if the people had been allowed to continue in ignorance and neglect of the way of God. They would have had to rebuild them again eventually.
There is a time to confront institutional sins but then people have to move forward. Nehemiah was wise to arrest the mourning and point the people to a preferred future. This takes effective leadership. We learn from the past and take a path forward to fulfill God’s destiny for us. We should do this joyfully.
By enlisting Ezra to inspire and inform the people, Nehemiah reveals his leadership skills even more. A leader needs other leaders to come alongside. He made use of all the gifted people that God had provided. A visionary is necessary but he or she needs to understand that they are not alone and don’t have all the gifts.
He knew there would be no true or lasting success if God wasn’t at the center of his life and everyone he led.
The people he led were in need of the Word desperately. For him, to bring the people to a point of hunger and passion for the Word was essential to their well-being. Just rebuilding the walls would have been a failure if the people had been allowed to continue in ignorance and neglect of the way of God. They would have had to rebuild them again eventually.
There is a time to confront institutional sins but then people have to move forward. Nehemiah was wise to arrest the mourning and point the people to a preferred future. This takes effective leadership. We learn from the past and take a path forward to fulfill God’s destiny for us. We should do this joyfully.
By enlisting Ezra to inspire and inform the people, Nehemiah reveals his leadership skills even more. A leader needs other leaders to come alongside. He made use of all the gifted people that God had provided. A visionary is necessary but he or she needs to understand that they are not alone and don’t have all the gifts.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Pack Your Bags
Read this: Pack Your Bags
"Over one hundred years ago the Holy Spirit called the IPHC into existence. Our mission is the Great Commission to send and go. Our heart is the Great Commandment to love everyone with the love of Christ. We have a Vision for 2020, and we invite you to be part of it!"
Amen!
"Over one hundred years ago the Holy Spirit called the IPHC into existence. Our mission is the Great Commission to send and go. Our heart is the Great Commandment to love everyone with the love of Christ. We have a Vision for 2020, and we invite you to be part of it!"
Amen!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Nehemiah Notes (Chapter 5)
If there is no opposition, then it is probably not of the Lord.
The devil has no new tricks. He just recycles with amazing success. Humans just keep believing his lies over and again.
Nehemiah was able to get everyone working. Even priests and nobles were working on the wall.
The biggest enemy may not be the one on the outside. It may be the one within.
Nehemiah lived out of Kingdom values as opposed to worldly or cultural values.
He was a servant-leader.
He understood the importance of relationships and resolved problems wisely and without delay.
The devil has no new tricks. He just recycles with amazing success. Humans just keep believing his lies over and again.
Nehemiah was able to get everyone working. Even priests and nobles were working on the wall.
The biggest enemy may not be the one on the outside. It may be the one within.
Nehemiah lived out of Kingdom values as opposed to worldly or cultural values.
He was a servant-leader.
He understood the importance of relationships and resolved problems wisely and without delay.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Nehemiah Notes (Chapters 1 and 2)
We are currently studying Nehemiah on Wed. nights and these are some practical thoughts I am gleaning from it.
Nehemiah was an effective leader. He was able to lead God’s people in what seemed like an insurmountable task.
He was followed because he was:
• Dissatisfied with the status quo and moved them to also desire escaping it.
• Genuinely burdened for the plight of the people.
• Concerned about God’s glory.
• Manifested confidence in God’s power to make it happen through them.
• Presented a plan that provoked confidence in the people.
He was effective because he:
• Fasted and prayed.
• Believed in God’s power not his own.
• Was prayerful and thoughtful.
• Acted so as to meet the need.
• Carefully proceeded.
• Knew that people would respond to a cause.
• Evaluated the situation to be realistic about it.
• Clearly communicated his vision and plan.
• Knew he needed help from others and enlisted them.
• He was a visionary (saw the future from God’s perspective).
Nehemiah was an effective leader. He was able to lead God’s people in what seemed like an insurmountable task.
He was followed because he was:
• Dissatisfied with the status quo and moved them to also desire escaping it.
• Genuinely burdened for the plight of the people.
• Concerned about God’s glory.
• Manifested confidence in God’s power to make it happen through them.
• Presented a plan that provoked confidence in the people.
He was effective because he:
• Fasted and prayed.
• Believed in God’s power not his own.
• Was prayerful and thoughtful.
• Acted so as to meet the need.
• Carefully proceeded.
• Knew that people would respond to a cause.
• Evaluated the situation to be realistic about it.
• Clearly communicated his vision and plan.
• Knew he needed help from others and enlisted them.
• He was a visionary (saw the future from God’s perspective).
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Benefits of Belonging to God
Here is what I learned while reading God’s Word today. I read, once again, Ps. 103. I just can’t seem to read this particular Psalm enough. I find this entire section (103-105) rich in reasons to worship.
It’s almost as if we hear David talking to himself here. I have often said that unless you can talk to yourself, you may need help. Not the other way around. On one occasion after the Amalekites had raided their camp while he was away and taken the women and children captive, David had to encourage himself in the Lord. I picture him walking into a field and telling himself, “I can do this. God is for me. He has an answer for this.”
We probably all have times when we need to encourage ourselves. The husband is being a jerk... the kids aren‘t acting right... the boss is being mean... school is overwhelming... maybe you need to come away from everything and do what David did. Talk to yourself. We surely have people in our lives that will encourage us when they can but often they are not around or have there own problems. We must take the initiative and give ourselves a pep talk. I am not just talking about positive confession. I’m talking about reminding ourselves what God has done for us.
“Soul,” David says, “bless the Lord, everything that is in me you bless the Lord for all of the benefits He gives me.” He is reminding himself that he needs to be grateful for the profit there is in belonging to God. He reminds himself of how God has forgiven and healed him. How God has purchased him from the auction block of sin and delivered him from the penalty of sin. He reminds himself of how wonderful and satisfying it is to be a recipient of the love and mercy of God. I am sure his heart soared as he did so and his perspective brightened.
I am glad that God is so merciful and faithful in His love. I am in need of that particular attribute of God every day. I am so happy to know that He is “slow to anger” and removes my sins in His compassion for me because He knows my “frame.” I am nothing without Him and will amount to nothing without Him. With Him I am blessed and abounding in so much to be grateful for. I have a Heavenly Father who loves me faithfully, steadfastly and forever. He will never be guilty of turning His back on me or giving up on me.
This makes Him worthy of my praise and worship. I should sing and be joyous in my disposition because of the benefits of belonging to God by covenant. It doesn’t matter how tough life is at the moment or what others think of me… He is worthy of my being joy-filled because of His favor and blessing on my life. This is not to say there will not be times of challenges or struggles but in them I must remember to do what David did and that is to encourage myself by rehearsing all the benefits of being a child of God even with the troubles I may have to endure here. As I do so it makes me cheerful in spite of what I may be going through. It is an expression of my faith and God is really pleased with that.
I am a child of God, highly favored, blessed with benefits, redeemed from eternal punishment, satisfied with good things and strengthened with His help. He is patient, gentle, merciful, compassionate and faithful to me. I can’t imagine how there could be a better deal than this! Thank You Father!
It’s almost as if we hear David talking to himself here. I have often said that unless you can talk to yourself, you may need help. Not the other way around. On one occasion after the Amalekites had raided their camp while he was away and taken the women and children captive, David had to encourage himself in the Lord. I picture him walking into a field and telling himself, “I can do this. God is for me. He has an answer for this.”
We probably all have times when we need to encourage ourselves. The husband is being a jerk... the kids aren‘t acting right... the boss is being mean... school is overwhelming... maybe you need to come away from everything and do what David did. Talk to yourself. We surely have people in our lives that will encourage us when they can but often they are not around or have there own problems. We must take the initiative and give ourselves a pep talk. I am not just talking about positive confession. I’m talking about reminding ourselves what God has done for us.
“Soul,” David says, “bless the Lord, everything that is in me you bless the Lord for all of the benefits He gives me.” He is reminding himself that he needs to be grateful for the profit there is in belonging to God. He reminds himself of how God has forgiven and healed him. How God has purchased him from the auction block of sin and delivered him from the penalty of sin. He reminds himself of how wonderful and satisfying it is to be a recipient of the love and mercy of God. I am sure his heart soared as he did so and his perspective brightened.
I am glad that God is so merciful and faithful in His love. I am in need of that particular attribute of God every day. I am so happy to know that He is “slow to anger” and removes my sins in His compassion for me because He knows my “frame.” I am nothing without Him and will amount to nothing without Him. With Him I am blessed and abounding in so much to be grateful for. I have a Heavenly Father who loves me faithfully, steadfastly and forever. He will never be guilty of turning His back on me or giving up on me.
This makes Him worthy of my praise and worship. I should sing and be joyous in my disposition because of the benefits of belonging to God by covenant. It doesn’t matter how tough life is at the moment or what others think of me… He is worthy of my being joy-filled because of His favor and blessing on my life. This is not to say there will not be times of challenges or struggles but in them I must remember to do what David did and that is to encourage myself by rehearsing all the benefits of being a child of God even with the troubles I may have to endure here. As I do so it makes me cheerful in spite of what I may be going through. It is an expression of my faith and God is really pleased with that.
I am a child of God, highly favored, blessed with benefits, redeemed from eternal punishment, satisfied with good things and strengthened with His help. He is patient, gentle, merciful, compassionate and faithful to me. I can’t imagine how there could be a better deal than this! Thank You Father!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Jesus Is The Answer
Read this: Artists Worry, Who's Next?
There is one reason why these "heroes" don't make it past 50. They need Jesus. With a sold-out life to Jesus most of them would still be alive and using the talent God gave them to bring glory to Him. None of us have a promise of tomorrow but a lot of God-fearing people are not dealing with the problems that addictions, lusts and a self-centered life bring as they wake up this morning. Jesus is the Way and the Truth and THE LIFE! Take Him as Savior and you will never regret it.
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