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.



****************************************************************

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

*****************************************************************************

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

*****************************************************************************

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.
****************************************

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



*****************************************************************************

Behold the Lamb of God

Andrew Peterson is my friend.

Following The Light

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." – John 8:12


At Christmas time I love to look at Christmas displays of various sorts. I especially enjoy, I admit, light displays, whether simple or extravagant, around homes and businesses in the community. The sight of abundant light illuminations on bitter cold nights on my way home from a long day at work just warms my heart. I do like to look at lights.

And Jesus is the light of the world, so I look at him. But here is the sharper truth; Jesus is not a light to just look at. Jesus says he is The Light to be followed. There is a huge difference between looking at, and following, a light. We are called to follow Him, not just gaze at him.

It seems that most of the world allows for looking at Jesus; the friction comes when those who trust in Him insist on following in the light and in the steps that He directs. These steps command that we love one another; that we speak the truth in love; and, that we go to the ends of the world to proclaim His name, unapologetically. This would be following Him, not just looking at him.

So, this Christmas and in the future, will we be just looking, or really following The Light?


I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. – John 12:46

Born to Die

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. – Hebrews 2:9


As we stop to celebrate the historical birth of Jesus, let’s take our celebration a step further to consider the reason why he came. Why did He come? To present God? To teach truth? To fulfill law? To offer His kingdom? To teach those who did not understand about God? To reveal love? To bring peace? To heal the sick? Yes to all of those. Yet as important as those aspects are, they are not the MAIN reason Jesus came to earth. The primary reason that Jesus came was to suffer and die, for you and for me, to pay the price of our sin, and that we may have real everlasting fellowship with God. Those tiny baby hands that we see in the manger, that were fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb, were made in order that one day nails might be driven through them.


Who are you, precious little babe nestled in the hay?
God I am, come to earth this day.
Why did you come, sweet little babe nestled in the hay?
To die, I came, the price of sin to pay.
Who's sin, tender little babe nestled in the hay?
Yours it was that brought me down today.
-Author Unknown


For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit – 1 Peter 3:18

Madeline is Home

Jean and I are so happy to have our oldest daughter, Madeline, home for a month for the holidays. She just finished her first semester of college.

Weekly Devotional for 12-13-08 - Spiritual Temperature

Spiritual Temperature
******************************
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
– Revelation 3:v14-16

The church of Laodicea was the most distasteful church of all, in the eyes of our Lord. His greatest condemnation was reserved for the lukewarm and casual.

G.A. Studdart Kennedy (1883 -1929) was a British writer who penned many beautiful poems about Jesus Christ. In one, he writes…

**********************************************************************************

"When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through hands and feet and made a Calvary.

They crowned Him with a crown of thorns; red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him they only let Him die.

For men have grown more tender they wouldn't give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street and leave Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, “Forgive them for they know not what they do”
And still it rained the winter rain that drenched Him through and through.

The crowds went home and left the streets with­ out a soul to see
And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Cal­vary.”

***********************************************************************************

Kennedy was saying that Jesus would rather have the hatred than suffer from the indifference.

This Christmas season, consider your fervency for following the Lord. It is so easy to be distracted with the pressures and priorities that others and we all tend to put on ourselves. Focus, really focus, your full attention directly on the Savior, on His remarkable incarnation, and on His gift to all those who receive Him. If you sense a lukewarm spirit in yourself, this will fire you up.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:11

Who is Jesus?

During Christmas, I believe that there are many people who reflect, either consciously or not, on who exactly Jesus is. Christians need to be prepared to answer without pressure, without panic, but in truth and love. This teaching from Alistair Begg has helped me temendously, and I hope that you can be helped by it as well.

Weather Pattern That My Wife Likes

My wife Jean loves to be "snowed in". We live in north central Indiana, and lake effect snow is what my wife craves.

And, I hope this pic helps put you in the Christmas mood.

Weekly Devotional for 12-6-08

Old School “Passing It Forward”
***************************

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. – James 1:27

Sometimes I wonder if what the modern church is attempting to be is in line with what the early church was attempting to be.

The following commentary is helpful; it was written by a philosopher of an earlier time, about early Christians…

"They are remarkable people. They walk in humility and kindness and falsehood is not found among them and they love one another. They despise not the widow and they grieve not the orphan. He that hath distributed liberally to him that hath not. If they see a stranger they bring him under their roof and they rejoice over him as if he were their brother. For they call themselves brethren not after the flesh, but after the Spirit and in God. But when one of their poor passes away from the world and any of them seem him, then he provides for his burial according to his ability. And if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or oppressed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs. And if it's possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him. And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy and they have not an abundance of necessity, they will fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with his necessary food.”
-- Aristides, A.D. 125

Father in Heaven, I want to share your love for the poor and the needy and the oppressed. I thank you that you've given me a pattern in Jesus who was rich but became poor. Help me to be faithful. May it be so that Your spirit convicts each believer’s heart in a specific way to give generously and without reservation. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.


"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' – Matthew 25:40

Bible 101

This file is what I have used in some Sunday school classes to teach a "Bible 101" class. It is a Powerpoint guide on how to get motivated and how to study the scriptures. Use it at your church if you feel it would be helpful.