John the Baptist would never get hired today. No church would touch him. He was a public relations disaster.
Mark 1:6 says he “wore clothes of camel’s hair and ate locusts and wild honey.”
His message was as rough as his dress. A no-nonsense, bare-fisted challenge to repent because God was on His way. No, John’s style wasn’t smooth. He made few friends and lots of enemies, but what do you know? He made hundreds of converts. How do you explain it? It certainly wasn’t his charisma, nor his money or position—for he had neither. Then what did he have? One word: Holiness.
Holiness seeks to be like God. You want to make a difference in your world? Live a holy life. Be faithful to your spouse. Pay your bills. Be the employee who does the work and doesn’t complain. Don’t speak one message and live another! Just be God in your world.
“…as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:15-16)
From: A Gentle Thunder
Thursday, 31 January 2013
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Whether you marriage is good, bad, or just plain ugly, there is always hope to make it great. But great does not come easily.
Great marriages take courage. When we think of courage, we generally think of the policemen and firemen who ran into the Twin Towers, or of a person diving into an icy pond to save a friend, or of a soldier on the front lines of battle. Most of us don’t think of courage when it comes to facing our everyday stuff, such as our marriage or raising kids. But it takes great courage to build relational intimacy, which is the oxygen of a marriage. It takes an enormous amount of courage to say, “This marriage is in trouble and we need to do something about it.” It’s much easier to put your troubles on the back burner, engage in the rough-and-tumble of life, and hope things will sort of work themselves out. Running from problems is always easier than solving them. But courage is willing to put on the gloves and say, “Let’s fight for this marriage.”
Great marriages take discipline. When you look at successful people you will find one thing in every case: It takes discipline to become successful at anything. Failure, for the most part, is due to people letting things slide. There is a lack of discipline.
In his book the Road Less Traveled, Scott Peck writes, “Delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.” Discipline is simply a commitment to get the pain out of the way first.
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
I’ll Take Care of It
We forgive the one-time offenders. We dismiss the parking place takers, the date breakers. We can move past the misdemeanors, but the felonies? The repeat offenders? Not so much. Vengeance fixes your attention on life’s ugliest moments. Score settling freezes your stare at cruel events. Is this where you want to look?
A man says, “My ex-wife and I share custody of our kids. She constantly says negative things about me. She’s destroying my relationship with them.
The woman says, “I want to keep a positive relationship with him for the kids, but it’s so hard to forgive him.”
“I’ll do the judging” says God. “Don’t insist on getting even.” You have an opportunity to teach your children a valuable lesson in forgiveness. God dispenses perfect justice. Have that same attitude Jesus showed in his life and on the cross! “I’ll take care of it” says God!
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19
From" Max on Life
A man says, “My ex-wife and I share custody of our kids. She constantly says negative things about me. She’s destroying my relationship with them.
The woman says, “I want to keep a positive relationship with him for the kids, but it’s so hard to forgive him.”
“I’ll do the judging” says God. “Don’t insist on getting even.” You have an opportunity to teach your children a valuable lesson in forgiveness. God dispenses perfect justice. Have that same attitude Jesus showed in his life and on the cross! “I’ll take care of it” says God!
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19
From" Max on Life
6 Gender Myths in the Church
What part of Galatians 3:28 don’t we understand?
This past weekend I had the honor of sharing the pulpit with my oldest daughter, Margaret, who serves as an associate pastor at a Christian college in Georgia. No buttons burst off of my shirt while she was preaching, but I can’t begin to tell how proud I was of her.
This was the same girl who used to insist on taking the lead role when she played Wilderness Family or Star Wars with her homeschooled sisters. My wife and I have known Margaret was a leader since she was a preschooler. Now she is a pastor.
Yet I still see puzzled looks when I tell people about Margaret’s vocation. That’s because in many sectors of the American church, people are locked into old, religious mindsets about gender. They have the idea that God wants men to lead and women to follow—even though Scripture gives us numerous examples of women leaders.
I run into what I call “gender myths” in the church all the time, even in progressive churches that claim to be trendy and “cutting edge.” Many women are still sidelined by these antiquated myths, even when the pastor is young and the music is hip.
This was the same girl who used to insist on taking the lead role when she played Wilderness Family or Star Wars with her homeschooled sisters. My wife and I have known Margaret was a leader since she was a preschooler. Now she is a pastor.
Yet I still see puzzled looks when I tell people about Margaret’s vocation. That’s because in many sectors of the American church, people are locked into old, religious mindsets about gender. They have the idea that God wants men to lead and women to follow—even though Scripture gives us numerous examples of women leaders.
I run into what I call “gender myths” in the church all the time, even in progressive churches that claim to be trendy and “cutting edge.” Many women are still sidelined by these antiquated myths, even when the pastor is young and the music is hip.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Two-Thousand Times More Effective
Two-thousand years ago the disciples of Jesus started a movement that changed the world. Are we still changing the world? We can. We can be two-thousand times more effective—if we only try!
Here’s an example. There are 145 million orphans worldwide. Nearly 236 million of us living in the U.S. call ourselves Christian. From a purely statistical standpoint, by ourselves, we have the wherewithal to house every orphan in the world. There’s enough food on the planet to feed the hungry! But the storehouse is locked.
God has given our generation everything we need to alter the course of human suffering. Change must start with us! With our transformation! Ours is the wealthiest generation of Christians ever! We can be more effective—if only we try!
From: Max on Life
Here’s an example. There are 145 million orphans worldwide. Nearly 236 million of us living in the U.S. call ourselves Christian. From a purely statistical standpoint, by ourselves, we have the wherewithal to house every orphan in the world. There’s enough food on the planet to feed the hungry! But the storehouse is locked.
God has given our generation everything we need to alter the course of human suffering. Change must start with us! With our transformation! Ours is the wealthiest generation of Christians ever! We can be more effective—if only we try!
From: Max on Life
Monday, 28 January 2013
The Mother-in-Law
Someone once asked me, So what do I do about my mother-in-law? Let’s just say, she’s taken “critical and judgmental” to a whole new level!
Just saying, “my mother-in-law” gets a chuckle every time. I wonder if in mother-in-law circles they laugh when they hear “the son-in-law?” Your mother-in-law may be hard to get along with. But the fact is, you can’t change her, but you can change the way you see her.
For starters, stop looking at what drives you up the wall. Look for a quality worthy of your attention. Is she generous? A great cook? And pray for her. It’s hard to stand before God and speak horribly about someone He loves! You may not change your mother-in-law, but it’ll change your attitude toward her. Who knows? Maybe she’ll start to change when you start to see her differently!
From: Max on Life
Just saying, “my mother-in-law” gets a chuckle every time. I wonder if in mother-in-law circles they laugh when they hear “the son-in-law?” Your mother-in-law may be hard to get along with. But the fact is, you can’t change her, but you can change the way you see her.
For starters, stop looking at what drives you up the wall. Look for a quality worthy of your attention. Is she generous? A great cook? And pray for her. It’s hard to stand before God and speak horribly about someone He loves! You may not change your mother-in-law, but it’ll change your attitude toward her. Who knows? Maybe she’ll start to change when you start to see her differently!
From: Max on Life
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Friday, 25 January 2013
Tough Questions
Some questions aren’t always easy to answer. Maybe that’s the way it should be! Here’s just that kind of question:
“I get tired of hearing people brush aside troubles with the platitude in Romans 8:28, ‘All things work together for good.’ Isn’t saying that cruel?”
The verse says, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him.” I think it’s one of the most helpful, comforting verses in the entire Bible. It announces God’s sovereignty in any painful, tragic situation we face. Why? Because we know God is at work for our good! He uses our struggles to build character.
So what do we do? We trust. Totally! And we remember. . .God is working for the good. Yes, any verse can be misused, but that doesn’t make it useless!
From: Max on Life
“I get tired of hearing people brush aside troubles with the platitude in Romans 8:28, ‘All things work together for good.’ Isn’t saying that cruel?”
The verse says, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him.” I think it’s one of the most helpful, comforting verses in the entire Bible. It announces God’s sovereignty in any painful, tragic situation we face. Why? Because we know God is at work for our good! He uses our struggles to build character.
So what do we do? We trust. Totally! And we remember. . .God is working for the good. Yes, any verse can be misused, but that doesn’t make it useless!
From: Max on Life
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Who Said White Men Can’t Dance?
It’s past time for us to get rid of our racial stereotypes.
I was not invited to any of the Inaugural parties in Washington last weekend, but I happened to be in the city for a conference in the D.C. suburbs. The pastor hosting me, Paul Carrette, is from the Caribbean island of Dominica. He has church members from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Jamaica,St. Vincent and other countries, plus many African-Americans and a few Caucasians from the U.S. and England.
I expected the worship at Church of Living Waters to be lively since the praise leader is a Nigerian. There was plenty of rhythm. The band included a drummer and a bongo player—plus a guitarist and several talented singers. But when we shifted into the third song, it seemed like the congregation was holding back. Only one man, an older deacon, was dancing on the front row.
I wondered: Were the people tired from our weekend conference? Was this just a case of the Sunday morning doldrums? Or had the sophistication of this powerful city dampened the people’s exuberance?
I could tell Pastor Paul was slightly frustrated because no one was getting out in the aisles. He had already announced that the Lord was going to bring great freedom during the worship time.We both knew God wanted lavish praise. At that point I stepped to the microphone.
I told the people that I had just returned from Nigeria, where Christians are known for their uninhibited worship. During some of my visits there I have danced for an hour, to the point that I was soaked with sweat and my feet ached. So I exhorted the people to start moving.
I expected the worship at Church of Living Waters to be lively since the praise leader is a Nigerian. There was plenty of rhythm. The band included a drummer and a bongo player—plus a guitarist and several talented singers. But when we shifted into the third song, it seemed like the congregation was holding back. Only one man, an older deacon, was dancing on the front row.
I wondered: Were the people tired from our weekend conference? Was this just a case of the Sunday morning doldrums? Or had the sophistication of this powerful city dampened the people’s exuberance?
I could tell Pastor Paul was slightly frustrated because no one was getting out in the aisles. He had already announced that the Lord was going to bring great freedom during the worship time.We both knew God wanted lavish praise. At that point I stepped to the microphone.
I told the people that I had just returned from Nigeria, where Christians are known for their uninhibited worship. During some of my visits there I have danced for an hour, to the point that I was soaked with sweat and my feet ached. So I exhorted the people to start moving.
God Knows More
A young woman wrote to me, “My boyfriend and I split up. I applied for a job and was rejected. Is God even listening to me?
You need to know that God knows more about life than we do! And, yes, He’s listening! One day, my then six-year old said she wanted me leave the ministry. “I just really wish you sold snow cones!” An honest request from an honest heart. To her the happiest people in the world were the guys who drove the snow-cone trucks. I heard her request, but I didn’t heed it. Why? Because I know more about life than she did.
Same with God. God hears our requests. But His answer isn’t always what we’d like it to be. Because He knows more about life than we do? Don’t panic. Don’t bail out. Talk to your heavenly Father. He’s still in control!
“Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.” Philippians 4:6-7
From: Max on Life
You need to know that God knows more about life than we do! And, yes, He’s listening! One day, my then six-year old said she wanted me leave the ministry. “I just really wish you sold snow cones!” An honest request from an honest heart. To her the happiest people in the world were the guys who drove the snow-cone trucks. I heard her request, but I didn’t heed it. Why? Because I know more about life than she did.
Same with God. God hears our requests. But His answer isn’t always what we’d like it to be. Because He knows more about life than we do? Don’t panic. Don’t bail out. Talk to your heavenly Father. He’s still in control!
“Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.” Philippians 4:6-7
From: Max on Life
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
All Things New
Can an acorn become a rose? Can a whale fly like a bird? Can lead become gold? I don’t think so!
My dad’s a doctor. My grandfather’s a doctor and everyone expects ME to be a doctor—but I want to study music! God—what am I missing?
You can’t be anything you want to be. But you can be everything God wants you to be. If God didn’t pack within you the people skills of a salesperson, or the world vision of an ambassador, can you be one? An unhappy, dissatisfied one—maybe! God doesn’t pre-fab or mass-produce people.
Revelation 21:5 says God makes all things new! He didn’t hand you your granddad’s bag or your aunt’s life; he personally and deliberately packed you! Live out of the bag God gave you. Enjoy making music!
From: Max on Life
My dad’s a doctor. My grandfather’s a doctor and everyone expects ME to be a doctor—but I want to study music! God—what am I missing?
You can’t be anything you want to be. But you can be everything God wants you to be. If God didn’t pack within you the people skills of a salesperson, or the world vision of an ambassador, can you be one? An unhappy, dissatisfied one—maybe! God doesn’t pre-fab or mass-produce people.
Revelation 21:5 says God makes all things new! He didn’t hand you your granddad’s bag or your aunt’s life; he personally and deliberately packed you! Live out of the bag God gave you. Enjoy making music!
From: Max on Life
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
God Uses People
Sinners, the ungodly, the imperfect, the fearful! Why does God choose such losers to change the world? I’m thinking it’s because there’s a lot more of us to choose from!
God uses people to change the world. Abraham the liar. David the adulterer and murderer. Are you getting the picture? What they lacked in perfection, God made up for in love. How can God possibly use you to make a difference? Look at those He’s already used and take heart! Because you are imperfect, you can speak of making mistakes. Because you’re a sinner, you can give testimony to forgiveness. God restores the broken and the brittle, then parades them before the world as trophies of his love and strength! If God chose only righteous people, you could count them all on one finger—Jesus!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
From: Max on Life
God uses people to change the world. Abraham the liar. David the adulterer and murderer. Are you getting the picture? What they lacked in perfection, God made up for in love. How can God possibly use you to make a difference? Look at those He’s already used and take heart! Because you are imperfect, you can speak of making mistakes. Because you’re a sinner, you can give testimony to forgiveness. God restores the broken and the brittle, then parades them before the world as trophies of his love and strength! If God chose only righteous people, you could count them all on one finger—Jesus!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
From: Max on Life
Monday, 21 January 2013
Suffering With Dignity
This question has been asked of me: “It breaks my heart to see patients who pray every day for miracles, and still they suffer. What do I tell them?”
The last years of my dad’s life were scarred by ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It took him from a healthy mechanic to a bed-ridden paralytic. He lost his voice and his muscles. But he never lost his faith. It wasn’t so much what he said, but more what he didn’t say. Never outwardly angry or bitter, Jack Lucado suffered with dignity.
After my dad’s funeral, a man told me it was because of my dad’s example that he became a Jesus follower. I’ve wondered, did God orchestrate my father’s illness for that very reason? Knowing the value God places on one soul—I wouldn’t be surprised. And imaging the splendor of heaven, I know my dad is not complaining!
“Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine.” (I Peter 1:6-7)
From: Max on Life
The last years of my dad’s life were scarred by ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It took him from a healthy mechanic to a bed-ridden paralytic. He lost his voice and his muscles. But he never lost his faith. It wasn’t so much what he said, but more what he didn’t say. Never outwardly angry or bitter, Jack Lucado suffered with dignity.
After my dad’s funeral, a man told me it was because of my dad’s example that he became a Jesus follower. I’ve wondered, did God orchestrate my father’s illness for that very reason? Knowing the value God places on one soul—I wouldn’t be surprised. And imaging the splendor of heaven, I know my dad is not complaining!
“Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine.” (I Peter 1:6-7)
From: Max on Life
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Sunday Sermon - 20-Jan-2013 - Elder Sim Say Khim
Speaker: Elder Sim Say Khim
White Fields Assembly Seremban
http://www.mediafire.com/?272oq6g14a2ka20
White Fields Assembly Seremban
http://www.mediafire.com/?272oq6g14a2ka20
Friday, 18 January 2013
What’s Your Task?
The Bible says the Lord has assigned to each a task! So what’s yours?
I’m kind of like the airplane pilot before takeoff—I go over my preflight checklist before I take any trips into the unknown. Where has God taken me before? I look at my passport. I remember my experiences. What trips am I passionate about?
We all have different passions and burdens. What’s mine? Am I the pilot, the flight attendant, a mechanic, or a baggage handler? You never see the pilot fixing coffee or the attendant with a screwdriver under the airplane hood. Why? Because we all have something we’re good at. And we’re expected to do that one thing well. What’s your purpose? What task has God assigned to you?
“Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful.” (I Cor 12:5-10 The Message)
From: Max on Life
I’m kind of like the airplane pilot before takeoff—I go over my preflight checklist before I take any trips into the unknown. Where has God taken me before? I look at my passport. I remember my experiences. What trips am I passionate about?
We all have different passions and burdens. What’s mine? Am I the pilot, the flight attendant, a mechanic, or a baggage handler? You never see the pilot fixing coffee or the attendant with a screwdriver under the airplane hood. Why? Because we all have something we’re good at. And we’re expected to do that one thing well. What’s your purpose? What task has God assigned to you?
“Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful.” (I Cor 12:5-10 The Message)
From: Max on Life
Grace Makes All the Difference
If life is… “because I have to”—where’s the joy in that? Too often I hear folks rejecting Christ because they think the Christian life is all about rules and regulations—all about stifling and suffocating ritual.
This happens when we confuse Christ with legalism. Legalism is joyless because it’s endless. There’s always another class to attend. Inmates incarcerated in self-salvation find work, but never joy!
Grace! It makes all the difference. I like this quote: “Gone are the exertions of law-keeping, gone the disciplines of legalism, the anxiety that having done everything we might not have done enough. We reach the goal, not by the stairs, but by the lift—God pledges his promised righteousness to those who will stop trying to save themselves!”1
Grace offers rest. Legalism? Never!
From: GRACE
1 J. A. Moyer, The Message of Philippians: Jesus Our Joy (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 166.
This happens when we confuse Christ with legalism. Legalism is joyless because it’s endless. There’s always another class to attend. Inmates incarcerated in self-salvation find work, but never joy!
Grace! It makes all the difference. I like this quote: “Gone are the exertions of law-keeping, gone the disciplines of legalism, the anxiety that having done everything we might not have done enough. We reach the goal, not by the stairs, but by the lift—God pledges his promised righteousness to those who will stop trying to save themselves!”1
Grace offers rest. Legalism? Never!
From: GRACE
1 J. A. Moyer, The Message of Philippians: Jesus Our Joy (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984), 166.
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
How Can I Know?
Some say, “I have doubts—lots of them. What I want to know is, how can I know I’m truly saved?”
You can know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life! Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
First, confess that Jesus is Lord. Say it out loud or quietly in your heart—just believe that Jesus was resurrected. He’s not in the grave. He’s God in the flesh, with power over death! Confess. Believe. You will have salvation!
But remember what the verse doesn’t say! Live perfectly. Can’t do it. Impossible. Just confess and believe. Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
From: Max on Life
You can know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life! Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
First, confess that Jesus is Lord. Say it out loud or quietly in your heart—just believe that Jesus was resurrected. He’s not in the grave. He’s God in the flesh, with power over death! Confess. Believe. You will have salvation!
But remember what the verse doesn’t say! Live perfectly. Can’t do it. Impossible. Just confess and believe. Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
From: Max on Life
What Africans Prayed Last Week for America
This photo of Nigerian Christians on their faces in prayer should stir us to repent.
I love so many things about Nigeria. Their food is delicious (moin-moin and jollaf rice are my favorites), their hospitality is warm (my hosts gave me my own Yoruba name a few years ago) and their worship is the most energetic in the world. I am certain that attending a church service in Lagos is equivalent to a full hour of aerobic exercise!
Nigerians also have some of the most creative church names on the planet. During my visit to Lagos and Port Harcourt last week, a friend showed me a list of the most unusual ones. They included The Yoke Must Break Ministries, Guided Missiles Church, Satan in Trouble Ministries, Holy Ghost Earthquake Commotion Ministries International Inc., and (my personal favorite) Go and Tell Ahab That Elijah Is Here Ministries.
Nigerian churches of every variety continue to grow, especially in the southern region, in spite of poverty, overcrowded cities, daily power outages, a struggling educational system, entrenched corruption and growing Islamic terrorism. Every time I visit this unique country—the most populous in Africa—I fall in love again with the people and their lively passion for God.
Last week, during my ninth visit to Nigeria, I witnessed a special moment and captured it with my camera. I felt I should share the photo with you. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this image of Nigerian Christians lying prostrate on the floor of an auditorium in Port Harcourt could inspire a book.
Nigerians also have some of the most creative church names on the planet. During my visit to Lagos and Port Harcourt last week, a friend showed me a list of the most unusual ones. They included The Yoke Must Break Ministries, Guided Missiles Church, Satan in Trouble Ministries, Holy Ghost Earthquake Commotion Ministries International Inc., and (my personal favorite) Go and Tell Ahab That Elijah Is Here Ministries.
Nigerian churches of every variety continue to grow, especially in the southern region, in spite of poverty, overcrowded cities, daily power outages, a struggling educational system, entrenched corruption and growing Islamic terrorism. Every time I visit this unique country—the most populous in Africa—I fall in love again with the people and their lively passion for God.
Last week, during my ninth visit to Nigeria, I witnessed a special moment and captured it with my camera. I felt I should share the photo with you. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this image of Nigerian Christians lying prostrate on the floor of an auditorium in Port Harcourt could inspire a book.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Called to Minister
If you don’t feel called to be a minister and you’re wondering if your life counts for Christ—it does! And you don’t have to put a collar around your neck, eat at every potluck that comes around, or preach long sermons to prove it!
According to Paul, ministers proclaim the gospel everywhere they go; they testify to God’s work in their lives.When you arrive in heaven, I wonder if Christ might say to you, “I’m so proud you let me use you. Because of you, others are here today. Wanna meet’em?” Neighbors, co-workers, friends, strangers, parents, spouse, children, grandchildren—all step forward! Even great-grandchildren, ones you never met are there because you ministered to your kids and to your grandchildren.
Are you a minister? You bet! Can you make a difference? Absolutely.
“I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14)
From: Max on Life
According to Paul, ministers proclaim the gospel everywhere they go; they testify to God’s work in their lives.When you arrive in heaven, I wonder if Christ might say to you, “I’m so proud you let me use you. Because of you, others are here today. Wanna meet’em?” Neighbors, co-workers, friends, strangers, parents, spouse, children, grandchildren—all step forward! Even great-grandchildren, ones you never met are there because you ministered to your kids and to your grandchildren.
Are you a minister? You bet! Can you make a difference? Absolutely.
“I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14)
From: Max on Life
Monday, 14 January 2013
The Reward of a Lifetime
A person lives to themselves nearly their whole life and then right at the end—they accept Christ and heaven is theirs to enjoy forever! Doesn’t seem fair, does it?
When we accept salvation from Jesus Christ, we all accept the same deal—eternal life with the Savior. If someone accepts Christ at ten years old or at age 85, lying on his deathbed—what’s the difference? Are you envious of God’s generosity? No! We love his generosity. Don’t ever change that, God!
Remember the thieves on the Cross? One thief cursed Jesus, the other defended Him. At the last moment, he said to Jesus: “remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And Jesus forgave him! The time of forgiveness doesn’t matter! Anytime is the best time to receive Christ! And it is indeed the reward of a lifetime!
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
From: Max on Life
When we accept salvation from Jesus Christ, we all accept the same deal—eternal life with the Savior. If someone accepts Christ at ten years old or at age 85, lying on his deathbed—what’s the difference? Are you envious of God’s generosity? No! We love his generosity. Don’t ever change that, God!
Remember the thieves on the Cross? One thief cursed Jesus, the other defended Him. At the last moment, he said to Jesus: “remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And Jesus forgave him! The time of forgiveness doesn’t matter! Anytime is the best time to receive Christ! And it is indeed the reward of a lifetime!
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
From: Max on Life
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Worship Roster 27-Jan-2013 to 14-Apr-2013
Worship roster for the period of 27-Jan-2013 to 14-Apr-2013
Sunday Sermon - 13-Jan-2012 - Pr Kenath Verghese
Speaker: Pr. Kenath Verghese
FGA Mornington Peninsula, Australia.
http://www.mediafire.com/?hm2nd4tea2nuyj2
FGA Mornington Peninsula, Australia.
http://www.mediafire.com/?hm2nd4tea2nuyj2
Friday, 11 January 2013
Come Clean With God
No way around it! Confession is coming clean with God!
Check out the Old Testament example. As if David’s affair with Bathsheba wasn’t enough. As if the murder of her husband wasn’t enough! David danced around the truth. He denied his wrongdoing and it took a prophet to make David see what he didn’t want to see. And when he did, he didn’t like it one bit! At that point, David waved the white flag. No more combat with God. No more arguing with God—he confessed! He came clean with God! And what did God do? In David’s own words, “… and You forgave me! All my guilt is gone!” (Psalm 32:5).
Want to get rid of guilt? Come clean with God!
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9
From: Max on Life
Check out the Old Testament example. As if David’s affair with Bathsheba wasn’t enough. As if the murder of her husband wasn’t enough! David danced around the truth. He denied his wrongdoing and it took a prophet to make David see what he didn’t want to see. And when he did, he didn’t like it one bit! At that point, David waved the white flag. No more combat with God. No more arguing with God—he confessed! He came clean with God! And what did God do? In David’s own words, “… and You forgave me! All my guilt is gone!” (Psalm 32:5).
Want to get rid of guilt? Come clean with God!
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9
From: Max on Life
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Being Saved
What does it mean to be saved? I think the best answer to that question is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Who’d watch someone they love step toward a pit and not stop them before they plunged into darkness? God loves you so much, he wants to save you—from the world, from Satan, from yourself! But the debt is too big to pay on your own! So Jesus did all the work two thousand years ago on a cross! So, what’s next? Believe! Believe that Jesus died for you and me. Our sin bill—paid in full! You are set free—to enjoy life eternal with your Savior himself!
From: Max on Life
Who’d watch someone they love step toward a pit and not stop them before they plunged into darkness? God loves you so much, he wants to save you—from the world, from Satan, from yourself! But the debt is too big to pay on your own! So Jesus did all the work two thousand years ago on a cross! So, what’s next? Believe! Believe that Jesus died for you and me. Our sin bill—paid in full! You are set free—to enjoy life eternal with your Savior himself!
From: Max on Life
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
No More Cold, Hateful Religion
If a judgmental spirit has contaminated your walk with God, ask Him for a fresh understanding of grace.
If there were an award for Worst Example of Christianity in 2012, it would have to go to the infamous Westboro Baptist Church.
The tiny sect, based in Topeka, Kan., made headlines several times last year—most notably in December 2012 when its members planned an unsuccessful demonstration at the funeral of a victim of the Connecticut school shooting.
Fred Phelps, the 83-year-old leader of Westboro, believes innocent children died in the Connecticut tragedy because God is mad at America for tolerating gay marriage. This is why Phelps named his church’s website GodHatesFags.com and why he sends his followers to hold hateful placards at military funerals. He claims that every time a U.S. soldier dies in Afghanistan, it is God’s reminder that He’s angry at America’s moral decay.
Personally I don’t think this group should use the term “Baptist” (Phelps describes himself as a Calvinist, but he is accountable to no one) or “church” (his members spend most of their time at protests wearing “God Hates Fags” T-shirts). They bear no resemblance to New Testament faith.
The tiny sect, based in Topeka, Kan., made headlines several times last year—most notably in December 2012 when its members planned an unsuccessful demonstration at the funeral of a victim of the Connecticut school shooting.
Fred Phelps, the 83-year-old leader of Westboro, believes innocent children died in the Connecticut tragedy because God is mad at America for tolerating gay marriage. This is why Phelps named his church’s website GodHatesFags.com and why he sends his followers to hold hateful placards at military funerals. He claims that every time a U.S. soldier dies in Afghanistan, it is God’s reminder that He’s angry at America’s moral decay.
Personally I don’t think this group should use the term “Baptist” (Phelps describes himself as a Calvinist, but he is accountable to no one) or “church” (his members spend most of their time at protests wearing “God Hates Fags” T-shirts). They bear no resemblance to New Testament faith.
Coronation Day
What are we doing here? I mean—is God up to something? If he is—what is it? Yeah. . .and where’s he taking us?
You can’t get more basic than these questions. The answer is one word: kingdom! God is creating a kingdom—an eternal population to reign with him in the new heaven and the new earth. Psalms 72 says “He will rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. . .all kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him” (vs:8-11). It’s the promise of an anointed King, a Messiah.
It’s all about the King and his kingdom—God’s plan! The Bible tells us that at the right time God will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and in earth!
That will be some coronation day, don’t you think?
From: Max on Life
You can’t get more basic than these questions. The answer is one word: kingdom! God is creating a kingdom—an eternal population to reign with him in the new heaven and the new earth. Psalms 72 says “He will rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. . .all kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him” (vs:8-11). It’s the promise of an anointed King, a Messiah.
It’s all about the King and his kingdom—God’s plan! The Bible tells us that at the right time God will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and in earth!
That will be some coronation day, don’t you think?
From: Max on Life
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
You Can Rest Now
We so fear failure that we create the image of perfection. The result? The weariest people on earth. Attempts at self-salvation guarantee nothing but exhaustion. We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges, and scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments.
Hebrews 13:9 says, “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Come to me, all you who are perfect and sinless.” Just the opposite. “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
Let grace happen, for heaven’s sake. No more performance for God, no more clamoring after God. Of all the things you must earn in life, God’s unending affection is not one of them. You have it. You can rest now!
From: GRACE
Hebrews 13:9 says, “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Come to me, all you who are perfect and sinless.” Just the opposite. “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
Let grace happen, for heaven’s sake. No more performance for God, no more clamoring after God. Of all the things you must earn in life, God’s unending affection is not one of them. You have it. You can rest now!
From: GRACE
Monday, 7 January 2013
God’s Model
Jesus was God’s model of a human being. Relentlessly kind in a world of cruelty. Honest in the midst of hypocrisy. When it came to sin, Jesus never did. When it comes to sin, we have never stopped.
Ephesians 2:1 says, we are “dead in trespasses and sins.” We’re lost. Blinded. Without Christ, we are strangers having no hope and without God in the world. According to the Bible, sin is not a regrettable lapse or an occasional stumble. Sin is an attitude of rebellion! But God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. We are made right with God.
Take sometime today to thank God for the day Jesus took your place…for the day grace happened to you!
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:5″
From: GRACE
Ephesians 2:1 says, we are “dead in trespasses and sins.” We’re lost. Blinded. Without Christ, we are strangers having no hope and without God in the world. According to the Bible, sin is not a regrettable lapse or an occasional stumble. Sin is an attitude of rebellion! But God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. We are made right with God.
Take sometime today to thank God for the day Jesus took your place…for the day grace happened to you!
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:5″
From: GRACE
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Sunday Sermon - 6-Jan-2013 - Pr Kenath Verghese
Speaker: Pr. Kenath Verghese
FGA Mornington Peninsula, Australia.
http://www.mediafire.com/?7r3ix3byej7b9x5
FGA Mornington Peninsula, Australia.
http://www.mediafire.com/?7r3ix3byej7b9x5
Friday, 4 January 2013
God’s Best Idea
Grace is God’s best idea. Rather than tell us to change, he creates the change! Do we clean up so God can accept us? No, he accepts us and begins cleaning us up. His dream isn’t just to get you into heaven, but to get heaven into you. Can’t forgive your enemy? Can’t face tomorrow? Can’t forgive your past? Christ can. Forgiven people, forgive people. Deep sighs of relief happen when grace happens. We still stumble aplenty, but we despair seldom. Grace changes everything! To be saved by grace is to be saved by Christ—not by an idea, doctrine, or church membership, but by Jesus Himself. I have no tips on how to get grace. Truth is, we don’t get grace. But it sure can get us! If you wonder whether God can do something with the mess of your life, then grace is what you need.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20″
From: GRACE
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20″
From: GRACE
Thursday, 3 January 2013
A Word for 2013: Cry Out for a Youth Awakening
Please don’t judge—pray instead. God can orchestrate a miraculous turnaround in our nation.
What is God saying as we enter 2013? Many Christians have a gloomy outlook. They are focused on the negative events of 2012: Freakish weather patterns, mass shootings, political division and the looming fiscal cliff. Others wring their hands over our national shift in values and declare that God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah if He doesn’t judge us swiftly.
There’s no doubt we deserve fire and brimstone for our sins. Yet when I pray for my nation in the light of the cross of Christ, I am reminded that His plan is redemption, not destruction. And I believe God has redemption in mind for 2013.
There’s no doubt we deserve fire and brimstone for our sins. Yet when I pray for my nation in the light of the cross of Christ, I am reminded that His plan is redemption, not destruction. And I believe God has redemption in mind for 2013.
"Please remember that the Holy Spirit is not finished shaping this generation! Young Christians today may seem immature, but they are works in progress."
At the end of each year I always seek the Lord for a clear prophetic word for my own life, and sometimes He speaks something to me about the nation. This year the message has been clear. He told me: “Pray for a great awakening in the younger generation.”
This was confirmed when I received a prophetic word that was sent out by the Rev. Dale Gentry, a respected church leader from Texas and director of Let’s Pray America. He sent out a message on Dec. 19 that said: “I hear the Holy Spirit saying that He will do nothing until we pray. And then He will do nothing without the youth. No one will be excluded, but the youth must be included. Intercede for the young people. Keep your eyes upon the youth of the nation. He will do a work among your sons and daughters that will cause the nations to tremble.”
This was confirmed when I received a prophetic word that was sent out by the Rev. Dale Gentry, a respected church leader from Texas and director of Let’s Pray America. He sent out a message on Dec. 19 that said: “I hear the Holy Spirit saying that He will do nothing until we pray. And then He will do nothing without the youth. No one will be excluded, but the youth must be included. Intercede for the young people. Keep your eyes upon the youth of the nation. He will do a work among your sons and daughters that will cause the nations to tremble.”
Christ – The Hope of Glory
The wasted years of life. The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: grace! We talk as though we understand the term. But do we really understand it? Here’s my hunch: we’ve settled for wimpy grace. It politely occupies a phrase in a hymn, fits nicely on a church sign. Never causes trouble or demands a response. When asked, “Do you believe in grace?”—who could say no?
Ah, but grace is huge! Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off. When grace happens, it’s not a nice compliment from God we receive but a new heart. Give your heart to Christ, and he returns the favor. When grace happens, Christ enters. “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27″
From: GRACE
Ah, but grace is huge! Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off. When grace happens, it’s not a nice compliment from God we receive but a new heart. Give your heart to Christ, and he returns the favor. When grace happens, Christ enters. “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27″
From: GRACE
The "Desiring God Blog"
click: Our Top 12 Videos of 2012: 
At Desiring God, we love creating resources and telling stories that encourage, challenge, equip, and inspire the saints to live lives supremely glorifying to God. Video has become a powerful and easily shareable medium on the Web. With this is mind, Desiring God has invested in producing videos that attempt to tell stories of hope, unfold Scripture, cast vision, and spread a passion for Jesus. Here are the twelves videos from Desiring God that were viewed most in 2012.
In them, you’ll find a wide variety of persons and topics, from John Calvin to Brad Pitt, from the mystery of the manger to the mystery of marriage, from the gospel through hip hop to sanctification through exercise.
Whether you’re revisiting videos that inspired you in the past or viewing them for the first time, we pray they meet and bless you at the outset of this New Year.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
God’s Remodeling Project
Let God do His work in you! Let His grace trump your arrest record, critics, and guilty conscience. See yourself for what you are—God’s personal remodeling project. No longer defined by failures but refined by them. Trusting less in what you do and more in what Christ did. Convinced that God is just warming up in this overture called life, that hope has its reasons and death has its due date.
Grace. Let it, let him, so seep into the crusty cracks of your life that everything softens. Then let it, let him, bubble to the surface, like a spring in the Sahara, in words of kindness and deeds of generosity! Not perfect, but closer to perfection than you’ve ever been. This happens when Grace happens.
From: GRACE
Grace. Let it, let him, so seep into the crusty cracks of your life that everything softens. Then let it, let him, bubble to the surface, like a spring in the Sahara, in words of kindness and deeds of generosity! Not perfect, but closer to perfection than you’ve ever been. This happens when Grace happens.
From: GRACE
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
A New Heart
When you give your heart to Jesus—He returns the favor with a spiritual heart transplant!
When a family lost their 13-year-old daughter in a skiing accident, they decided to donate all her organs to whomever needed them most. Through a set of unusual circumstances they met the heart recipient. They had only one request. As they put the stethoscope to the chest of the woman who’d received the transplant—they heard the still-beating heart of their daughter.
The grace message says that God can hear the beating heart of Jesus Christ—in our hearts, in our lives, in our bodies. When we give our heart to Jesus He returns the favor. We have a brand new heart. What exciting news. What wonderful grace!
From: GRACE
When a family lost their 13-year-old daughter in a skiing accident, they decided to donate all her organs to whomever needed them most. Through a set of unusual circumstances they met the heart recipient. They had only one request. As they put the stethoscope to the chest of the woman who’d received the transplant—they heard the still-beating heart of their daughter.
The grace message says that God can hear the beating heart of Jesus Christ—in our hearts, in our lives, in our bodies. When we give our heart to Jesus He returns the favor. We have a brand new heart. What exciting news. What wonderful grace!
From: GRACE
Do Not Boast About Tomorrow
James 4:13-17
New King James Version (NKJV)
Do Not Boast About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will[a] go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
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