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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Artist creates messianic parade for Obama
Amid the pomp, circumstance and celebration of welcoming a new president, an artist in Iowa created an inaugural parade sure to draw attention, even hundreds of miles from Washington, D.C.: Barack Obama, riding on a donkey, complete with waving palm fronds and "Secret Service" escort.
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan declared in October that when Obama talks, "the Messiah is absolutely speaking." But artist Matthew J. Clark's parade – marching Obama through the streets of Des Moines in similar fashion to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem – takes the messianic imagery even farther.
Read the whole article here .
;-)
Challenging You to Change, Biblically
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good,
pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:1-2
pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:1-2
Read these verses at least a few times. According to this short passage, what are the reasons why you should be invested in wanting to change?
Go back to the verses again. What should be the goal of your ongoing transformation?
According to God’s word, what role does God play in your transformation?
The transformation to Christ likeness will never happen on its own, without your will interacting with God’s revelation and leading. Take the courage to write down the answers to the questions above, and it may initiate the renewing of the mind that God prescribes for your transformation to move forward. Do more than believe God’s word. Embrace it. Respond to it. Be transformed by it.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. – James 1:23-25
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Bibles/Verses Used in Presidential Innaugurations
Interesting that Obama is using the same Bible as Lincoln used. This is a nice historical article on the subject by the WSJ
Rick Warren blesses President inviting Gay Bishop to Pray at Innauguration
Let's face it, public prayer events have pretty much turned into a huge political mess.
Don't stop praying for the nation, and don't let the politics of prayer disuade you from praying.
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Tim Tebow Makes John 3:16 Most Searched Item
Surprizingly, face paint on a football player has become 2009's first popular evangelical tool. Who woulda thunk it.
This article has the details
I hope he's a Packer some day !
Where Real Change Starts
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. – 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)
I know what God wants to change in you first. He wants to change this same thing in me. There are fruit changes and there are root changes. This is a root change. It is your heart. It is my heart. God focuses on the heart.
the righteous God tries the hearts and minds - Psalm 7:9 (NASB)
When the Bible speaks of the heart it usually does not speak purely of emotions, as we sometimes use the word heart. The term “heart” in scripture tends more to point to one’s mind, one’s thought patterns and cognitive control. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he, and biblically, a man (woman) “thinks” with his heart.
"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." – Jeremiah 17:10 (NIV)
The question is not so much “how is your spiritual life?” as much as it is “how is your thought life?” Do you ask God to purify your thoughts, to cleanse your thinking? Do you ask God to help prevent the garbage that today’s TV, movie, and internet media wants to relentlessly feed you through entrance into your (and your children’s) eyes and ears and thoughts? Do you pray to God to give you biblical discernment? Do you ask God to set His thoughts as primary in your thinking patterns, and not a secondary concern?
I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. – Revelation 2:23
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I know what God wants to change in you first. He wants to change this same thing in me. There are fruit changes and there are root changes. This is a root change. It is your heart. It is my heart. God focuses on the heart.
the righteous God tries the hearts and minds - Psalm 7:9 (NASB)
When the Bible speaks of the heart it usually does not speak purely of emotions, as we sometimes use the word heart. The term “heart” in scripture tends more to point to one’s mind, one’s thought patterns and cognitive control. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he, and biblically, a man (woman) “thinks” with his heart.
"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." – Jeremiah 17:10 (NIV)
The question is not so much “how is your spiritual life?” as much as it is “how is your thought life?” Do you ask God to purify your thoughts, to cleanse your thinking? Do you ask God to help prevent the garbage that today’s TV, movie, and internet media wants to relentlessly feed you through entrance into your (and your children’s) eyes and ears and thoughts? Do you pray to God to give you biblical discernment? Do you ask God to set His thoughts as primary in your thinking patterns, and not a secondary concern?
I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. – Revelation 2:23
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Where The Power to Change Comes From
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you – Acts 1:8
Happy New Year. Our planet’s new rotation around the sun has started. This time of year is commonly a time many of us use to reflect on our past living patterns. And if we are honest with ourselves, we who do examine ourselves know that change is called for in sundry aspects of our individual lives. We each (arguably) know (again, if we are honest with ourselves) what those changes should be, whether they are evident to others or not. And since we are motivated out of devotion to God to be better Christians, we say to ourselves and sometimes to the world that we are “GOING to DO IT”! We are REALLY going to change!
We may be pumped up, but all of our right intentions will fail unless we employ the only source of power for real change that God has provided, that is His Holy Spirit. It is Christ in you that will fuel the blessings of authentic change.
I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. – Romans 15:18-19
God has given no provision for his people to live out life in human will power and human strength alone. It is by the power of God’s Spirit that enables all the blessings of God for change in us, and blessings for us, to occur. God’s glorious riches are discovered through Christ living in you, the hope of glory (Col 1:27). This is biblically called sanctification, or being more Christ like, and that is the end game of our walk with Christ. Christlikeness is accomplished only through the power of the Holy Spirit filling the believer.
Got the Holy Spirit? Got power! If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then you are filled with the power to truly change to be more like Christ.
our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. – 1 Thessalonians 1:5
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being – Ephesians 3:16
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit – Romans 15:13
Happy New Year. Our planet’s new rotation around the sun has started. This time of year is commonly a time many of us use to reflect on our past living patterns. And if we are honest with ourselves, we who do examine ourselves know that change is called for in sundry aspects of our individual lives. We each (arguably) know (again, if we are honest with ourselves) what those changes should be, whether they are evident to others or not. And since we are motivated out of devotion to God to be better Christians, we say to ourselves and sometimes to the world that we are “GOING to DO IT”! We are REALLY going to change!
We may be pumped up, but all of our right intentions will fail unless we employ the only source of power for real change that God has provided, that is His Holy Spirit. It is Christ in you that will fuel the blessings of authentic change.
I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. – Romans 15:18-19
God has given no provision for his people to live out life in human will power and human strength alone. It is by the power of God’s Spirit that enables all the blessings of God for change in us, and blessings for us, to occur. God’s glorious riches are discovered through Christ living in you, the hope of glory (Col 1:27). This is biblically called sanctification, or being more Christ like, and that is the end game of our walk with Christ. Christlikeness is accomplished only through the power of the Holy Spirit filling the believer.
Got the Holy Spirit? Got power! If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then you are filled with the power to truly change to be more like Christ.
our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. – 1 Thessalonians 1:5
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being – Ephesians 3:16
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit – Romans 15:13
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Looking Out for Number Two
make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3-4
The theme of the book of Philippians is joy in the believer. Philippians chapter 2 focuses on the joy of selflessness. The upside down kingdom strikes again. The world tells us to make sure we take care of ourselves first, but the word of God here informs us that true joy comes from denying self, humbling self, in deference to others.
But putting others first is unnatural for us, who suffer from the inheritance of a sin nature. So how can we possibly do this? If not on our own then what, (or who) is our example? As usual, Jesus is the answer.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name – Philippians 2:5-9
If Jesus’ example is too much too fast, Paul provides another example, in Timothy, to provide a model for what brings true joy from God…
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. – Philippians 2:19-20
What you do to change your perspective and focus on investing your life more in the souls of others and less on the exaltation of self will not only be obedient to God’s word, it will bring you increased true joy in your heart.
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He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. – Luke 1:52
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." – Luke14:11
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. – James 4:10
*****************************************************************************
The theme of the book of Philippians is joy in the believer. Philippians chapter 2 focuses on the joy of selflessness. The upside down kingdom strikes again. The world tells us to make sure we take care of ourselves first, but the word of God here informs us that true joy comes from denying self, humbling self, in deference to others.
But putting others first is unnatural for us, who suffer from the inheritance of a sin nature. So how can we possibly do this? If not on our own then what, (or who) is our example? As usual, Jesus is the answer.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name – Philippians 2:5-9
If Jesus’ example is too much too fast, Paul provides another example, in Timothy, to provide a model for what brings true joy from God…
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. – Philippians 2:19-20
What you do to change your perspective and focus on investing your life more in the souls of others and less on the exaltation of self will not only be obedient to God’s word, it will bring you increased true joy in your heart.
****************************************
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. – Luke 1:52
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." – Luke14:11
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. – James 4:10
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