Tailor-Made

Lucille Ball said the secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.  It’s hard to lie about the obvious.  When you’re young you make a lot of faces in the mirror.  When you’re old the mirror gets even.

Growing older.  Aging.  We laugh about it and we groan about it.  We resist it, but we can’t stop it.  And with the chuckles and wrinkles come some serious thoughts and questions about what happens when we die.

God is doing what any father would do.  He’s providing a better place for us.  A place to rest.  A place He has prepared for us.  Heaven isn’t mass-produced; it’s tailor-made. We must trust God.  We must trust not only that He does what is best, but that He knows what’s ahead.

This world wears like a borrowed shirt.  Heaven will fit like one tailor-made!

From A Gentle Thunder

God Loves You Still

We give more applause to a brawny ball-carrier than we do to the God who made us.  We sing more songs to the moon than to the Christ who saved us. And if He doesn’t give us what we want, we say He doesn’t exist.  God has every reason to abandon us. I sure would. I’d wash my hands of the whole mess and start over.  But does He?

You think you’ve committed an act that places you outside His love?  You think He’d love you more if you hadn’t done it, right?  You think He would love you more if you did more, right?  Wrong.  Wrong.  God’s love sees your sin and loves you still.  Do you need to repent?  Yes.  But do you repent for His sake or yours?  Yours!

God’s love needs no bolstering.  And He could not love you more than He does right now.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

From: A Gentle Thunder

Ripping the Heart Out of Sunday Worship

by Tony Reinke

Why do we attend church on Sundays? Fundamentally, we come to church starved for God. Coming with our need, we seek God in our worship and in hearing the word faithfully preached. We arrive at church with a God-sized appetite for spiritual pleasures that only the Living God can fill.

But is it honorable to find our motivation to get to church in seeking blessing from God? Or is that a selfishness that spoils the whole morning and embarrases God? Isn’t it more honorable to arrive at church with disinterested motives?

Pastor John says no. Here’s why.
Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher who died in 1804, was the most powerful exponent of the notion that the moral value of an act decreases as we aim to derive any benefit from it. Acts are good if the doer is "disinterested." We should do the good because it is good. Any motivation to seek joy or reward corrupts the act.

Piper goes on to explain what’s on the line.

Kant loves a disinterested giver. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Disinterested performance of duty displeases God. He wills that we delight in doing good and that we do it with the confidence that our obedience secures and increases our joy in God.

We Are God’s Idea

Why does a mother love her newborn child?  Because the baby is hers?  Even more so… because the baby is her!  Her blood.  Her flesh. Her hope.  Her legacy.  It doesn’t bother her that the baby gives nothing.  She knows a newborn is helpless, weak.  She knows babies don’t ask to come into this world.  And God knows we didn’t either.

We are God’s idea.  We are His.  His face.  His eyes.  His hands.  Look deeply into the face of every human being on earth, and you will see His likeness.  Though some appear to be distant relatives, they are not. We are, incredibly, the body of Christ.  And though we may not act like our Father, there is no greater truth than this:  We are His.  Unalterably.  He loves us.  Undyingly.

And Scripture says, “not height nor depth, not any other created thing…nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.” (Romans 8:39)

I’d be a fool not to believe Him.

From: A Gentle Thunder

Do Spouses Need to do the Same Things?

Mark Gungor answers your questions!

This video covers if spouses really need to do everything together or if it's okay to have different interests.

This is bonus content from Mark Gungor's Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar, to purchase the complete seminar please visit http://shopping.laughyourway.com/

Sunday Sermon - 28-Oct-2012 - Pr Benaiah Naresh

Speaker: Pastor Benaiah Naresh
NECF Associate Member

http://www.mediafire.com/?29lu38wk7o9p28t

Our Feet in His Hands

“Jesus poured water into a bowl and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel wrapped around Him.” (John 13:5)

We say, “No!  Don’t wash their feet, Jesus.  Tell them to wash Yours!”  Do we object because we don’t want to see God washing feet?  Or do we object because we don’t want to do the same?

Logic says, “Put up your fists.”  Jesus says, “Fill up the basin.”
Logic says, “She doesn’t deserve it.” Jesus says, “You’re right, but you don’t, either.”

I don’t understand how God can be so kind to us, but he is.  He kneels before us, takes our dirty feet in his hands, and washes them.  Not from our dirt, but from our sins.  And the cleansing isn’t just a gesture; it’s a necessity.  We cannot cleanse our own filth.  We cannot remove our own sin.  Our feet must be in His hands.

Would you let him wash your feet today?

From: A Gentle Thunder

Reaching Today’s AWOL Generation

Why have so many young Christians today left the church? It’s partly because we haven’t been good mentors.

I love all four Gospels, but Mark is my favorite. I describe it as the Gospel for teenagers—or for anyone with a short attention span. It is the shortest account of Jesus’ ministry, and the most fast-paced. It is focused on Jesus’ actions, not His sermons, and the word immediately appears in it 47 times. If a movie were based on Mark it would be a noisy action flick, complete with screaming demons, instantaneous healings and rioting crowds.

But what I love most about Mark is the back story of its author—who is sometimes referred to as John Mark. He is young when we first see him in Scripture. He was related to Barnabas and closely associated with Peter. (Scholars believe Mark’s Gospel is based on what Peter dictated to him). Yet Mark created an embarrassing dilemma for the apostle Paul. We are told that Paul separated from Barnabas in Antioch because Mark deserted the team (see Acts 15:37-40).

"Everywhere I go today I remind churches and denominational leaders that we are completely missing the boat if we aren’t investing the bulk of our time discipling a new generation. The church is graying, and many young people have checked out because our approach to ministry has become totally irrelevant to them.” 

We can speculate about what caused this conflict. We don’t really know why Mark went AWOL. Did he fear persecution? Did he wimp out because he missed his mother’s cooking back in Jerusalem? Or did he go through a period of rebellion? Perhaps. But in the end, the prodigal came home. The epistle of Philemon says Mark began traveling with Paul again (v. 23).

Jesus Prayed

Much of life is spent getting out of bed.  Fixing lunches.  Turning in assignments. Changing diapers.  Paying bills. Routine.  Regular.  More struggle than strut.

You thought marriage was going to be a lifelong date?  You thought having kids was going to be like baby-sitting?  You thought the company who hired you wanted to hear all the ideas you had in college? Then you learned otherwise.  The honeymoon ended.

But at the right time, God comes.  In the right way, He appears. So don’t bail out.  Don’t give up.  He is too wise to forget you, too loving to hurt you.  When you can’t see Him, trust Him.

So what does God do while we’re enduring the pain?  Mark 6:46 says, “Jesus prayed.”  He prayed for His disciples when they were in the storm.  And when He heard their cries, He remained in prayer.

He’s praying a prayer right now that He Himself will answer at the right time.

“Jesus is able always to save those who come to God through him because he always lives, asking God to help them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25)

From: A Gentle Thunder

Just Row

It’s one thing to suffer for doing wrong.  Something else entirely to suffer for doing right.  But it happens.  And when the storm bursts, it washes away the naïve assumption that if I do what is right, I will never suffer.

Just ask the faithful couple whose crib is empty.  Just ask the business person whose honest work was rewarded with runaway inflation.  Just ask the student who took a stand for the truth and got mocked.

And like the disciples in the boat, they wonder, “Why the storm, and where is Jesus?” (John 6:19)

It’s bad enough to be in the storm, but to be in the storm alone?  So where does that leave us?  It’s simple.  We do what the disciples did.  We row the boat.  Oh there are moments of glamour, days of celebration.  But we also have our share of baloney sandwiches.  And to have the first we must endure the second.  We row the boat.

“God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.” (Luke 18:7)

From: A Gentle Thunder

Don’t Go Sexless—Part Two

by Mark Gungor 

In my last post, I began explaining a simple solution to head off the problem of sexless marriage.  I pointed out how couples, generally, get to sexless when one person unilaterally decides to say, “no” to the sexual advances of the other—and sometimes for legitimate reasons. But I went on to reason that simply saying, “no” isn’t the answer and that it will actually work against getting the improvements you want in the relationship.  You need to answer a request for sex from your spouse with some version of “yes”. If you haven’t read Part One, (add link) do so before you continue on.

Let’s go back to the previous examples I gave in Part One—lack of hygiene and when the sex is “one sided”—to address how to use my “some version of yes” solution. If your hubby can’t seem to find the shower or toothbrush prior to jumping into bed for a session of lovemaking, don’t roll over in a huff and bark, “No! Get away!” at him, or pretend you are already sleeping. Simply smile and say, “Yes, dear! I’ll rock your world, just as soon as you shower and brush your teeth. Come see me when you’re squeaky clean, and I’ll put a big ol’ grin on your face.” See, the solution? Do you see how it will end in an entirely different way? For the wife to just say, “no” and roll over leaves the poor guy shot down in flames and leads to ill feelings and a strained relationship for both of you.

Yeah, yeah, I know you women say, “He should just know that I want him clean and spruced up.” Ladies, sometimes guys don’t think about everything like you do and we need reminding. Honestly, you may have to repeat the scenario a few times, but eventually he should get the message and hopefully catch on quickly to the fact that approaching you smelling clean from the shower, with minty fresh breath will be a green light for him.

Standing in the Need of Prayer

Eddie & Alice Smith

Job's friends are an example of how not to treat a friend in need. What can we learn from them about how to pray for those we love?

Those of you who know the story of Job, the righteous man God bragged about to Satan, will remember that God gave Satan license to afflict Job. Job lost his possessions and his health. His seven sons and three daughters, for whom he had interceded daily, pleading their cases before God as a defense attorney might plead their cases in court, were killed in a freakish windstorm (see Job 1:18-19).

His wife lost her confidence in the Lord and any respect she had for her husband. She eventually encouraged him to forget his integrity, to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9).

But one of the greatest losses to Job was the loss of relationships. Job’s friends became a burden rather than a blessing. Those who should have been sensitive to his need and supportive in their actions during his time of trial only added to his burden. Interestingly, each of them represents a type of friend no one wants when going through trial.

Let’s look at Job’s friends. Perhaps in them we will learn the behaviors to avoid when our friends are suffering trials. We can develop an earnest desire to become effective prayer advocates when others have walked away.

Come and See

Nathanael said to Philip,  “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”  Philip answered, “Come and see.” (John 1:46)

The question about Jesus still lingers.  And the answer of Philip still suffices.  Come and see.  Come and see what Christ has done.

See Wilberforce fighting to free slaves in England—because he believed.  See Handel weeping as he composes The Messiah.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?  Come and see.  Come and see the changed lives:  the alcoholic now dry; the embittered now joyful, the shamed now forgiven.  Come and see the marriages rebuilt, the orphans embraced, the imprisoned inspired.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?  Come and see. Come and see the tomb. The tomb once occupied, now vacant; the grave once sealed, now empty.

Yes, come and see!

From: A Gentle Thunder

It’s Just Like Him

Think for a moment about your world.  Remember that voice, that face, that event?  Wasn’t there a time for you—maybe the birth of your child?   The tears of the widower?  The explosion of a sunset?  The impassioned sermon?   Wasn’t there a time when you heard God speak?

It isn’t the circumstance that matters; it’s God in the circumstance.  It isn’t the words; it’s God speaking them.  It wasn’t the mud that healed the eyes of the blind man; it was the finger of God in the mud.  The cradle and the cross were as common as grass.  What made them holy was the One laid upon them.

God speaks to us.   He may use a sermon.  He may inspire a conversation.  He may speak through a song.  He may even speak through this brief message.  But, isn’t that just like Him?  Oh, the lengths to which God will go to get our attention and win our affection! Listen to Him.

“Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51)

From: A Gentle Thunder

Why doesn't my spouse ever want to talk to me?

If your spouse never talks to you or shares his/her feelings, could there be a reason?

Listen as Mark Gungor talks about this common problem in marriages in this bonus clip from his Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar.

To purchase the complete seminar on DVD, please visit http://shopping.laughyourway.com/

Sunday Sermon - 21-Oct-2012 - Bro. Philip Yeoh

Speaker: Bro. Philip Yeoh
Evangelist, Full Gospel Assembly USJ

http://www.mediafire.com/?6xbbcmiaexi2ded

The Many Shades of Temptation

from Start Marriage Right by Renee Johnson Fisher
 

Recently, I read about the many shades of temptation in my devotional time.

I read in One Year Alone With God by Ava Pennington  that,

…despite impeccable leadership, non-Christians would still not recognize true purity because their minds are defiled. They preferred stereotypes, because the alternative leads to truth, which leads to Christ. They would rather deny Him than bow to Him.”

The gray area
Have you ever heard of the gray area? I have. It’s when a situation or a person is no longer considered black and white. Sin will easily tell you there’s many shades of gray—but instead, God gives you a way out. In other words, we’re supposed to runaway from temptation.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body (1 Corinthians 6:18, NIV84 ).”

That verse sounds pretty black and white–don’t you think?

Temptation’s many shades
If you grew up in the church, you probably heard many illustrations, stories, or sermons on 1 Corinthians 6:18. Why? Because the Bible doesn’t mess around with temptation. God knows how weak we are and wants to protect us. Reading 1 Corinthians 6:18 in my devotional time felt differently this time—because I’m married.

Calling All Frazzled Parents!

via Charisma Magazine by gina.meeks@charismamedia.com (T.D. Jakes)

I know there are days when all of us feel as if we are in over our heads. But when those days arise and courage seems to wilt, remember that God's grace is on you for these moments. He will strengthen you against all odds.

Some of you have always had someone else to rely on. But now you are facing the challenge of raising your children alone.

Are you alone? Not really. You never were. God has been there all the time. And the same God who brought you through all of your earlier challenges is waiting for you to acknowledge Him in your current situation.

Do you know that many of the blessings that are on you will pass to your children? For example, it is a blessing to have wise parents. Wise parents pass their reasoning and mentality to their children. This creates a generational blessing.

We have heard about generational curses, but we ought to understand generational blessings, too. If a drug-filled mother gives birth to a drug-addicted child, then why can't a spiritually regenerated mother have a child who has been blessed by her regeneration?

God Is Most Glorified in Us When We Are Most Satisfied in Him - 2

- Death As Gain?
And it gets even plainer when you consider the death half of Philippians 1:20–21. Christ will be magnified in my body by death, “because to me to die is gain” (verse 21). Why would death be gain? The answer is in verse 23b: “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Death is gain because it means a greater closeness of being with Christ. Death is “to depart and be with Christ.”

This is why Paul says in verse 21 that to die is gain. You add up all the losses that death will cost you (your family, your job, your dream retirement, the friends you leave behind, your favorite bodily pleasures) — you add up all these losses, and then you replace them only with death and Christ — if when you do that you joyfully say, gain!, then Christ is magnified in your dying. Christ is most magnified in your death, when you are so satisfied in Christ, that losing everything and getting only Christ is called gain.

Or to sum up both halves of the verse: Christ is glorified in you when he is more precious to you than all that life can give or death can take.

- The Centrality of the Cross
That’s the biblical basis for Christian Hedonism: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

And this really was already implicit in the second message in this series. God created the world for the praise of the glory of his grace displayed supremely in the death of Jesus. Which means that the pursuit of his own praise reaches its climax at the place where it does us the most good, the cross. At the cross God upholds his glory and provides our forgiveness. At the cross God vindicates his own honor and secures our happiness. At the cross God magnifies his own worth and satisfies our soul.

In the greatest act of history, Christ made it come true for undeserving sinners that God could be most glorified in us by our being most satisfied in him.

What Are You Looking For?

Jesus said:

“I am the bread that gives life.”

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

“I will come back and take you with me.”

Jesus, ever proclaiming– ever offering, but never forcing!   It’s His voice.  But, it’s our choice.

Near the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus said, “Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.  Martha, do you believe this?” (John 11:26)

The first time John hears Jesus speak, Jesus asks the question, “What are you looking for?”  (John 1:38)

The honest questions.  The thundering claims.  The gentle touch.  God will whisper.  God will shout.  God will touch and tug.  God will take away our burdens; he’ll even take away our blessings.  If there are a thousand steps between us and Him, he will take all but one.  But he will leave the final one for us.

The choice is ours.

From: A Gentle Thunder

God Is Most Glorified in Us When We Are Most Satisfied in Him - 1

October 13, 2012 | by John Piper | Scripture: Philippians 1:12–26 | Topic: Christian Hedonism

Philippians 1:12-26 (NKJV)
Christ Is Preached
12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 The former[a] preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

To Live Is Christ
19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For[b] I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, 26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

In our series on the 30-year theological trademarks of Bethlehem we focus on Christian Hedonism. And let’s be clear from the outset that Bethlehem has not been built around a slogan or a label. The term “Christian Hedonism” is not in any of this church’s official documents. It’s not in our constitution, or our church covenant, or our Elder Affirmation of Faith, or Values booklet, or our Ten Dimensions of Church Life. It’s catchy, it’s controversial, it’s not in the Bible, and you don’t need to like it just because I do. So the point of this message is not at all to push a label or a slogan. The point is to talk about the massive and pervasive biblical truth that some of us love to call Christian Hedonism.

So this sermon is packed with some of the juiciest, most wonderful things that I love to know and experience. We need to get to work. Here’s the outline:

• First, there’s a problem that needs be solved because of my second message in this series.
• Second, Christian Hedonism is the biblical solution to that problem.
• C. S. Lewis, and St. Paul give the basis for that solution.
• Fourth, this solution — Christian Hedonism — changes everything in your life. (Eleven examples!)

That’s a tall order for one sermon. So here we go.

5 "Aha" Marriage Tips You Need to Know: Part 3

#3 - I cannot change others, but I can influence others.

It's true, you cannot change your spouse, but you can and do influence your spouse every day. If you are still trying to change your spouse, then you are probably a master manipulator. You reason, "If I do this, then my spouse will do that." "If I can make him miserable enough, or happy enough, then I'll get what I want." I hate to discourage you, but you're on a dead end road. Even if he changes, he will resent you for manipulating him. 

A better approach is to be a positive influence on your spouse. You influence by your words and actions. If you look for something your spouse is doing that you like and give him verbal compliments, you are having a positive influence on him. If you do something for him that you know he will like, your actions influence him in a wholesome way. Your model begins to rub off on him. The reality of the power of positive influence holds tremendous potential for troubled marriages.

Continue the conversation: Share your questions, thoughts insights, or comments by joining the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/5lovelanguages   

Say Goodbye to the 'Armor Bearer' Mentality

To train a new generation for ministry we must get rid of pride and pretension

My friend Charles wanted a mentor. He was eager to learn the ropes of ministry, so he asked an older pastor for training. The pastor agreed—but Charles soon realized the man wanted a valet, not an apprentice. Charles became the man’s “armor bearer.”

The man never took Charles on hospital visits, involved him in ministry assignments or prayed with him. Instead, Charles was expected to carry the pastor’s briefcase, fetch coffee and take suits to the cleaners—with no salary offered. In this case, “armor bearer” was a spiritualized term for “slave.”

"I’m not sure what is more nauseating: That some pastors think they are discipling young leaders by exploiting them, or that church members tolerate such pompous behavior from a so-called man of God."

This bizarre trend became popular in churches 20 years ago, but it still thrives. It appeals to insecure leaders who need an entourage to make them feel important. Some pastors have even assigned trainees to serve as bodyguards—complete with dark glasses and concealed weapons. These young men are instructed to keep people away from the pastor so he doesn’t have to talk to anyone after a church service (because, after all, the poor preacher might be “drained of his anointing” if he fraternizes with common folks).

Excuse me while I barf!

A Little Light, Please

Every so often a storm will come, and I’ll look up into the blackening sky and say, “God, a little light, please?”

Light came for the disciples.  A figure came to them walking on the water. It wasn’t what they expected.  They weren’t looking for Jesus to come walking on the water.  And since Jesus came in a way they didn’t expect, they almost missed seeing the answer to their prayers.

Unless we look and listen closely, we risk making the same mistake.  When the disciples saw Jesus in the middle of their stormy night, they called Him a ghost.  (Matt. 14:26)  An hallucination.  We do the same.

When God comes, we doubters think all pain will flee.  Life will be tranquil.  No questions will remain.  But it is through whispered promises He speaks:  When you doubt, look around; I am closer than you think.

From: In the Eye of the Storm

Holiness in a Bathrobe

What you may see in the mirror as morning disaster is, in reality, a morning miracle. Holiness in a bathrobe!  When God sees us, He also sees Christ.  He sees perfection!  Not perfection earned by us, mind you, but perfection paid for by Him.

Scripture says:  “For God caused Christ, who Himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)

You are absolutely perfect.  In Christ, you are flawless. Without defect. Unrivaled.  Undeserved yet unreserved perfection.  No wonder heaven applauds when you wake up!  A masterpiece has stirred.

Go ahead, get dressed, shave, comb the hair.  Do it for yourself.  For the sake of your image.  Do it to keep your job. But don’t do it for God.  He’s already seen you as you really are.  And in His book, you’re perfect.

Taken from: In the Eye of the Storm

God Created Food and Sex for Believers

from Desiring God Blog by Tony Reinke

Sexual pleasure is too earthy. Enjoying delicious food is too unspiritual.

That’s a two-point outline for a demonic sermon that has no place in any church — so Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 4:1–5.

In fact, in a paradoxical twist of reality, the apostle says that sex and food were created by God with the intent that these gifts be received with thanksgiving. Positively, this means that marriage and food are properly used according to God’s design when believers accept these gifts with Godward thanksgiving. Negatively, this means unbelievers who are not thankful to God for these gifts have no right, in God’s economy, to food or to sex.

Or to say it even stronger: Unbelieving sex and unbelieving eating are a prostituting of God’s created gifts from their divine intent (1 Timothy 4:3).

God’s Common Kindness 

Now hold that provocative thought for one moment, because it is also true that God sends rain upon the just and the unjust — although mostly on the just, as novelist Cormac McCarthy writes, because the unjust stole the just’s umbrella!

When God Smiles

If only when God smiles and says we’re saved, we’d salute Him, thank Him, and live like those who’ve just received a gift from the Commander-in-Chief!  We seldom do that, though. We prefer to get salvation the old-fashioned way: we earn it!  We opt to impress God with how good we are rather than confessing how great He is.

We burden ourselves with rules and think God will smile on our efforts.  He doesn’t!  God’s smile isn’t for the healthy hiker who boasts he made the journey alone.  It’s for the crippled beggar who begs God for a back on which to ride.

Daniel prayed, “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy.” (Daniel 9:18)

When I think about the prayers God has answered for me in spite of the life I’ve lived, I think He must be smiling still!

From: In the Eye of the Storm

To Reach the Destination

In order to reach the destination, we have to say no to some requests!  Can you imagine the chaos if a parent honored each request of a child during a trip? Can you imagine the chaos if God indulged each of ours? “No!” is a necessary word to take on a trip!

Scripture says, “For God has not destined us to the terrors of judgment but to the full attainment of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thess. 5:9)

Note God’s destiny for your life: Salvation. God’s overarching desire is that you to reach that destiny. His itinerary includes stops that encourage your journey. He frowns on stops that deter you. When His sovereign plan and your earthly plan collide, a decision must be made. Who’s in charge of this journey?

If God must choose between your earthly satisfaction and your heavenly salvation, which do you hope He chooses?

From: In the Eye of the Storm

Do I Have to Talk about Things that Don't Interest Me?

If your spouse is talking to you about things that you really don't care about or have any interest in, is it okay to ignore them or tell them to leave you alone? Or are you obligated to listen?

Listen as Mark Gungor talks about this common question from couples in this bonus clip from his Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar. To purchase the complete seminar on DVD, please visit http://shopping.laughyourway.com/ http://shopping.laughyourway.com/

Sunday Sermon - 14-Oct-2012 - Dr Siow Kim Woon

Speaker: Dr. Siow Kim Woon
Full Gospel Assembly Seremban

http://www.mediafire.com/?ltrlyi91e0ddw5t

He Dismissed the Crowd

A world of insight is hidden in four words in Matthew 14:22: “He dismissed the crowd.”  This wasn’t just any crowd that Jesus dismissed.  This was a multitude with a mission. They’d followed Jesus around the sea.  They’d heard Him teach.  They’d seen Him heal.  And they were ready to make Him King.

No one would turn down an opportunity to minister to thousands of people—right?  Jesus did.  He dismissed the crowd!  Why?

Matthew 14:23 says, “After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray.”

Jesus said no to the important in order to say yes to the vital!  It wasn’t a selfish decision.  It was a deliberate choice to honor priorities.

If Jesus thought it necessary to say no to the demands of the crowds in order to pray—don’t you think you and I should to?

From: In the Eye of the Storm

Why Spread Rumors About People Who Leave Your Church?

from Charisma Magazine by charisma.online@charismamag.com (Jennifer LeClaire)

Over the weekend I discovered a new rumor about why I left a certain church some years ago. Yes, apparently people there are still talking about me years later. I wish I could have told the congregation why I chose to leave, but the Holy Spirit told me to “go in peace” and I obeyed.

Unfortunately, the leadership didn’t like my reasons and apparently felt threatened. After all, I was highly visible in the church and people would ask questions about my sudden and unexplained departure.

People did ask questions, and they were given all sorts of false answers. Gossip and rumors prevailed and, as the saying goes, rumors generally grow deformed as they travel. Thirty months later, the rumors are deformed into a state that is utterly ridiculous.

It’s been said that rumors are mostly a projection of the individual who started them. When my 15-year-old daughter heard about the latest rumor, she wisely stated, “If you were the one causing the problems they wouldn’t still be attacking you years later. They are attacking you to take the attention off themselves.” Selah.

When Hugs Turn to Hate
For all the many articles about how not to leave a church the wrong way, can we take a moment to explore what not to do when someone leaves a church?

5 "Aha" Marriage Tips You Need to Know: Part 2

#2 - Attitude affects actions.

The reason attitudes are so important is that they affect my behavior and words. I may not be able to control my environment: sickness, alcoholic spouse, teenager on drugs, aging parents, etc. but I am responsible for what I do within my environment. My attitude will greatly influence my behavior.

If I look for the positive in my marriage, then I'm more likely to talk positively: give my spouse affirming words, and to do something that has the potential for enhancing life for both of us.

On the other hand, if I focus on the negative, I'm more likely to give my spouse critical, condemning words. This type of behavior will often result in one of two actions:

    I'll do things to hurt my spouse, or  

    I'll withdraw and consider leaving my spouse. 

Yes, my attitude affects my actions.

Continue the conversation: Share your questions, thoughts insights, or comments by joining the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/5lovelanguages    

Once Gay, Always Gay?

A new law in California tells gay teens it’s impossible to change their sexual orientation. But what if they want to change?

I have a confession to make: I have prayed for many people who struggle with homosexual feelings, and I have asked the Holy Spirit to help them overcome those urges. According to the state of California, that makes me a criminal if the person I prayed for was under 18.

California has banned so-called “reparative therapy,” which is used to cure minors of their homosexual feelings. Upon signing the law in late September, Gov. Jerry Brown said such psychological counseling has led to depression and suicide among gay youth, and he added that any therapy aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation falls into the category of “quackery.”

"I have prayed for many people who struggle with homosexual feelings, and I have asked the Holy Spirit to help them overcome those urges. According to the state of California, that makes me a criminal if the person I prayed for was under 18."

The law states that no mental health provider can provide minors with therapies to “change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.”

Gov. Brown, the majority of California’s legislators and leaders of the gay community say it’s hateful to offer a gay person alternatives if they struggle with same-sex attraction. They believe if young people have gay feelings, they might as well embrace their homosexual identity and get busy acting it out. (Meanwhile, a formerly gay student and two therapists have filed suit against the law, claiming that it is a violation of free speech and freedom of religion.)

Listen to His Voice

There are a lot of lying voices that make “noise” in our world!  You’ve heard them.  They tell you to swap your integrity for a new sale.  To barter your convictions for an easy deal.  They whisper.  They woo.  They taunt.  They flirt.  They flatter.

“Go ahead, it’s okay.”  “Just wait until tomorrow.”  “Don’t worry, no one will know.”

The voices of the crowd!  The world rams at your door.  But Jesus taps at your door.  Scripture says, “the sheep listen to His voice.”  (John 10:2-4) The mark of a disciple of Jesus is the ability to hear the Master’s voice.

Which voice do you hear?  Let me state something important.  There’s never a time Jesus is not speaking.  Never a place in which Jesus is not present.  Never a room so dark, that the ever-present, ever-pursuing Jesus is not present.

Never!  If we will but listen to His voice.

From: In the Eye of the Storm

Call Home

I got off my flight with a cramp in my leg, an empty stomach, a bad attitude, and three more hours to go.  And the connecting flight was late!

I set down my bags and called home.  Denalyn answered.  She’s always glad when I call.  We made no decisions.  We solved no problems.  We just talked.  And I felt better.  When we finished, Denalyn said, “I’m glad you called.”  And I hung up happy!   I can handle being a pilgrim as long as I can call home whenever I want.

It occurs to me Jesus needed to call home in the middle of the hassles as much as I did.  He needed a minute with Someone who would understand.  So He chatted with the One He loved; heard the sound of the home He missed.

And He was reminded when all hell breaks loose, all heaven draws near!   Maybe you should call home too!

From: In the Eye of the Storm

Well, What Do You Know!

As I look around, I find more and more things that I’d labeled, “To be expected” that deserve to be labeled, “Well what do you know!

Every day I have the honor of sitting down with a book that contains the words of the One who created me.  Every day I have the opportunity to let Him give me a thought or two on how to live.  If I don’t understand what He says, He doesn’t call me a dummy.  In fact, He calls me “son,” and on a different page explains what I don’t understand!  Remarkable!

I’m discovering many things.  Traffic jams eventually clear up.  Sunsets are for free.   I’m learning that if I look—if I open my eyes and observe, there are many reasons to take off my hat, look at the Source of it all, and just say thanks!

From: In the Eye of the Storm

A Love That Never Fails

You’re under the gun at work?  You’ve got more to do than is humanly possible?

Your teenagers won’t listen?  Your employees give you blank stares when you assign tasks?  Believe me—Jesus knows how you feel!  When you struggle, Jesus listens.  When you question, he hears.  He loves you with a love that never fails.

Have you noticed God doesn’t ask you to prove that you’ll put your salary to good use?  Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t give you only that which you remember to thank him for?  Has it been a while since you thanked God for your spleen?   Me too.  But I still have one!

Matthew writes that Jesus healed the sick.   Not some of the sick.  Not the righteous among the sick. Not the deserving among the sick.  But  “the sick.”   Matthew 14:36 says “People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.”

God loves you.  He values you.  And He paid a great price for you!

From:  In the Eye of the Storm

Can the Effects of Porn be Reversed?

This clip is from Mark Gungor's Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar, available on DVD at http://shopping.laughyourway.com/

Mark answers a question regarding if the effects of long-term porn use can be reversed? Can you retrain your body and relearn how to perform in a real way. What should we tell our children?

Sunday Sermon - 7-Oct-2012 - Ps. PG Vargis

Speaker: Pastor PG Vargis

http://www.mediafire.com/?w963gnmkrf27rb9

The Piranha Hour

We used to call 5:00 p.m. the “piranha hour.”  It was that time of day when our girl s all wanted a piece of mom at the same time.  And I, the ever-loving, ever-sensitive husband, wanted Denalyn to drop everything and talk to me about my day.  When is your piranha hour?  When do people in your world demand much and offer little?

Jesus teaches us how to live through them successfully.  When hands extended and voices demanded, Jesus responded with love.  He did so because the code within him disarmed the clock.

The code is worth noting:  “People are precious.”  He gave sight to eyes that would lust.  He healed hands that would kill.  Many of those he healed would never say “thank you” but he healed them anyway.

God’s goodness is spurred by His nature—not by our worthiness.  He knows the value of people!

“…but the crowds learned about [what Jesus was doing] and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Luke 9:11″

From: In the Eye of the Storm

5 "Aha" Marriage Tips You Need to Know: Part 1

#1 - I am responsible for my own attitude.

Trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional. Attitude has to do with the way I choose to think about things. Two wives have husbands who have lost their jobs. Wendy said, "My husband hasn't had a full-time job in three years. The good part is not being able to afford cable TV. We've done a lot more talking on Monday nights. We've learned a lot. Our philosophy is 'Let's see how many things we can do without that everybody else thinks they have to have.' It's amazing how many things you can do without."

On the other hand, Lou Ann said, "My husband hasn't had a job for ten months. We are down to one car, no phone, and we're getting food from the food bank. Life is miserable at our house." The difference in these two wives was basically a matter of attitude.

We choose to think negatively and curse the darkness, or we choose to look for the silver lining behind the clouds.

Continue the conversation: Share your questions, thoughts insights, or comments by joining the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/5lovelanguages

OCTOBER : 10,000 Reasons

Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul

Worship His holy name. Sing like never before, O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Song Story: 10,000 Reasons 

WL: Please share the specifics of writing “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”and what was on your heart as far as the theme and focus?

Redman: I wrote this song with a great friend, Jonas Myrin. He’s a Swedish guy who I’ve sat down to song-write with lots over the last few years. He played me an idea for some of the chorus melody, and I found it immediately inspiring. In fact, it felt like a perfect fit for a song based on the opening of Psalm 103. The song came together really quickly—a good chunk of the song was actually a spontaneous moment. I have no idea why some songs take months of writing and re-writing (like “Blessed Be Your Name”) and others arrive really swiftly (like this one). One thing I’ve realized over the years is there’s no distinct rule that says that something composed quickly must therefore be more spiritual or inspired! Yes, God-breathed inspired worship songs can at times be written very quickly and spontaneously—but at other times they’ve involved a lot of perseverance, perspiration, and hard work!

Wake Up, America: Advice from a Pakistani Christian

Muslim extremists threatened to kill my friend "Amir." But he says kindness is the best way to introduce a Muslim to the love of Jesus.

My friend Amir is a marked man. I can’t even use his real name because Muslim extremists in his native Pakistan want to kill him.

Last month while Muslims were burning churches and murdering Americans in the Middle East to protest a low-budget film about Islam, I spent a few days with Amir, who attends Bible college in the United States. Raised a Presbyterian, Amir’s belief in Jesus puts him in the minority in Pakistan.

"Last week in Dearborn, Mich., Islamic leaders rallied in the streets to demand the passage of anti-blasphemy laws in the United States. They want to criminalize any form of speech that is deemed offensive to Muslims.”

Amir has seen anti-Christian violence erupt in his country many times. When he was a boy, a classmate boasted of starting a fire that burned an entire Christian town. In 2010 terror hit the city of Faisalabad when two pastors were accused of blaspheming Muhammad. Assassins shot and killed both pastors while police watched.

In August of this year a Christian girl in Pakistan was arrested and accused of desecrating a copy of the Quran—a capital offense under Islamic law. Later, after a Muslim cleric was arrested on charges of framing the girl, local Muslims continued to call for her death—along with anyone who defended her. One Muslim from the girl’s village was quoted by reporters as saying: “Pour petrol and burn these Christians!”

God Sees Value

Alicia only weighs 22 pounds and is much shorter than children her age.  She suffers from progeria—a genetic aging disease that strikes one child in 8-million.  She’s bald.  Her hearing is bad.  Her stamina is that of an old person.  And she’s only ten.

Mostly, she’s patient with the constant curiosity.  But at times it gets to be too much for her mother and she lashes out.  Who could blame her?  Such is the nature of parental love—a love regardless of imperfections.  Not because the parent is blind.  Just the opposite.  They see vividly.  She sees Alicia’s inability as clearly as anyone.  But she also sees Alicia’s value.

So does God!   God sees us with the eyes of a Father.  He sees our defects, errors, and blemishes.  But He also sees our value.  Each human being is a treasure.  A source of joy!

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Mark 6:34″

From: In the Eye of the Storm

Completely Human

When a bookstore owner told me a woman had stomped into his shop, angry, slamming one of my books on the counter, I knew exactly what he was talking about.  I wrote that Jesus may have had pimples.  He may have had bony knees.  But I said, “One thing’s for sure, he was, while completely divine, completely human.”

There’s something safe about a God who never had calluses. There’s something majestic about a God who never scraped his elbow.  But there’s also something cold about a God who cannot relate to what you and I feel.

Rejection?  He felt it.  Temptation?  He knew it.  Loneliness?  He experienced it.  Death?  He tasted it.  And stress?  He could write a best-selling book about it.

Why did he do it?  One reason.  So that when you hurt, you’ll go to him and let him heal you!

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15.”

From: In the Eye of the Storm

Jesus Knows How You Feel

Remember when you sought a night’s rest and got a colicky baby?  When you sought to catch up at the office and got even further behind?  Or that leisurely Saturday when you ended up fixing the sink?  Take comfort, friend.  Jesus knows how you feel!

You may have trouble believing that.  Can God relate to the hassles and headaches of my life?  Of your life?

Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.”

When you tell God that you’ve reached your limit, He knows what you mean. When you shake your head at impossible deadlines; when your plans are interrupted by people who have other plans; he nods in sympathy.  He’s been there!

Jesus knows how you feel!

From: In the Eye of the Storm

How to Pray for Your Children

www.thewordfortoday.com.au

Isaiah 44:3 (NKJV)

For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;

You must pray, claiming God's promises over your children. Are such prayers effective? Yes. God says, '...I am ready to perform My word.' (Jeremiah 1:12 NKJV) We serve a promise-making, promise-keeping God!

• 'So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.' (Isaiah 55:11 NKJV) So pray for your children each day and stand on these promises:
• '...I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.' (Isaiah 44:3 NKJV)
• '"And this is my covenant with them," says the Lord. "My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!''' (Isaiah 59:21 NLT)
• 'Now this is what the Lord says: "Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you," says the Lord. "Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. There is hope for your future," says the Lord. "Your children will come again to their own land."' (Jeremiah 31:16-17 NLT)
• '...the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.' (Proverbs 11:21 NKJV)
• '...Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.' (Psalm 112:1-2 NIV)
• 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' (Acts 16:31 NKJV)

SoulFood: Neh 8-10, Luke 24:25-35, Ps 68:19-35, Pr 22:6

In a Storm

Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming!  One second perched peacefully.  The next—whoosh—sucked into the vacuum cleaner hose!  The bird owner turned off the vacuum, opened the bag. There was Chippie—still alive, but stunned!   Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore.  Blown over, sucked in, it’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.

Can you relate?   Most of us can. One minute you’re seated in familiar territory, a song on your lips, then. . .the rejection letter arrives.  The doctor calls.  The divorce papers are delivered.   You’re sucked into a black cavern of doubts.  Left with a long night of fear and a long list of questions.  Jesus knows we’re in a storm.  Why doesn’t he come?

The same voice that stilled the rage on the Sea of Galilee can still the storm in your world.   Be assured—He is closer than you’ve ever dreamed!

Psalm 145:18 says “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
 

From: In the Eye of the Storm