Thursday, March 1, 2001
If you want to please God, make yourself available to Him. If you want to make Him ecstatic, make your gifts available to Him!
-Rom 11:29 (NIV)
“…for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
Wednesday, February 28, 2001
If you give God your life He will give you the path to walk on. And He’ll even light it!
-Ps 119:105 (NIV)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
Tuesday, February 27, 2001
Don’t think God has forgotten who you are. He knows every hair on your head and every ache in your heart. Above all, He knows who you are and He loves you anyway!
-Matt 6:33-34 (NIV)
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Monday, February 26, 2001
God has written beautiful lyrics and a beautiful melody for our lives. If we get out of tune it is our doing, not Gods.
-Ps 92:4 (NIV)
“For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.”
Sunday, February 25, 2001
If you are unhappy with your church perhaps you should take the “Who’s the Problem Test.” Perhaps the church you attend is not the problem. Perhaps you are unhappy with God and, therefore, cannot find any satisfaction with your church or any church. Search the depth of your heart and pray, “God, who or what is the problem that I am unhappy with my church? I am sure that you will get an answer loud and clear. I am not sure that you will like the answer.
-Eccl 2:26 (NIV)
“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Saturday, February 24, 2001
It’s an interesting thing about science. We were practically ready to sell our furnaces and snow blowers in Minnesota the last couple of years with all the talk about global warming. Then suddenly, God gives us the coldest, snowiest winter in years. No one has been talking much about global warming in Minnesota these days. Certainly not today as we had 9 inches of snow and another 8-12 inches on the way. The point is that the wisest, most educated men on earth are still a long way from figuring out what God has planned for the move of His mighty hand.
-Job 37:10-13 (NIV)
“The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them. He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love.
Friday, February 23, 2001
Does God still heal people? Some would say not but I dare not say it. I have seen too many miracles over the years. I remember a certain person whose hand was caught between a tractor and a trailer and it turned a dark blue-black in color. We immediately prayed for her and her hand immediately changed to normal, she flexed it and went back to work. It may not have been as dramatic as raising the paralytic or healing a blind man but it left a lasting impression on me that God is still our healer.
-Acts 28:27 (NIV)
“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
Thursday, February 22, 2001
Loving God is the highest calling of man. The next highest calling is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Certainly it is more important than giving money or being busy in the church. So, when you think of changing your lifestyle, think about the “lifestyle of love!”
-Mark 12:33 (NIV)
“To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Wednesday, February 21, 2001
The best way to conquer the fear of death is to live for the Lord!
-Rom 14:9 (NIV)
“For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”
Tuesday, February 20, 2001
God doesn’t make mistakes but people do. One of the biggest mistakes people make is losing site of the wonderful plan God has for their life. I know that there are many people who suffer within themselves for not being in God’s will. Perhaps it’s too late to accomplish all God had planned through you but there is certainly time to accomplish part of it!
-Rom 12:2 (NIV)
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is– his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Monday, February 19, 2001
Monday Multi-thoughts
Church bulletin boards:
Fear knocked.
Faith answered.
No one was there.
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
Give God what’s right, not what’s left!
God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers “fruits of the spirit” over “religious nuts”!
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
Having truth decay?
Brush up on your Bible!
He who angers you, controls you!
He who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
In the sentence of life the Devil may be a comma, but DO NOT let him be the PERIOD!
Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.
Man’s way leads to a hopeless end!
God’s way leads to an endless hope!
Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.
Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.
“Pray” is a four letter word that you can say anywhere (except in a public school).
The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.
This Church is “Prayer Conditioned”!
Walmart isn’t the only saving place!
We don’t change the message, the message changes us.
Wisdom has two parts:
1) Having a lot to say.
2) Not saying it.
Worry is the darkroom in which “negatives” are developed.
You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.
-contributed by Bev Sederlund
Sunday, February 18, 2001
You can never achieve more than God has dreamed for your life. If you think you have, you have missed the dream!
-Mark 10:45 (NIV)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Saturday, February 17, 2001
Has there ever been a time when there has not been conflict in the church? I don’t know but I suppose there has always been enough to go around. My guess is that the drought of evangelism in most churches today is the result of the conflict within. The church sings of “peace like a river” and the world is looking for just a “drop” shared by the church!
-1 Cor 11:19 (NIV)
“No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.”
-Ps 4:8 (NIV)
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Friday, February 16, 2001
A loving smile is the reaction of a loving heart. Somehow in the serious tones of the scriptures we, as readers, have overlooked the possibility that Jesus actually smiled. Because God is love I believe that there were many things that caused Jesus to have a loving smile, a reaction of a loving heart.
-1 Pet 1:8 (NIV)
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,”
Thursday, February 15, 2001
I read in yesterday’s paper that the IRS had seized an Indianapolis Baptist Temple property claiming a $6,000,000 tax debt. 85 Federal marshals and 70 local police officers came and carried the pastor out of the building on a stretcher. I know nothing about the circumstances but I know that we are living in a day when poorly run, unorganized and militant churches are at risk from government intervention and take over. We are also hearing about churches being sued for one thing or another and their property being sold to pay a judgment. Others are almost ruined by legal bills from lawsuits if they are uninsured or underinsured. Perhaps it’s a good time to check your church insurance and mode of operation to make sure you are operating within legal guidelines and sound business procedures.
The other questions that comes to my mind when I read of these things are:
Is the 501-C-3 Internal Revenue Service classification a good thing?
Is the 501-C-3 code designed to give donors tax breaks or have a control factor for the IRS over non-profits?
Aren’t donations deductible anyway to non-profits unless the IRS rules otherwise against the non-profit donation?
As a non-profit corporation duly incorporated in a given state, does that give the state authority over the operation of that non-profit (including churches)?
Can’t churches operate without any classification or non-profit status?
I don’t know all the answers to these things and I am not advocating anything except churches and pastors should be aware and educated on the proper operation mode of their church. If your church gets into a legal web with the IRS or a State Attorney General, the legal fees will probably close your church!
-Rom 1:17 (NIV)
“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Wednesday, February 14, 2001
Love is not blind it just chooses not to see every speck of dirt in someone’s life!
-Ps 36:5-7 (NIV)
“Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
Tuesday, February 13, 2001
A major challenge of the Christian life is being committed to the great commission. In other words, being unselfish and brave enough to share our faith with others.
As a pastor I have I commonly suggest an evangelism exercise where people simply pray and ask God to send someone into their life that week that they may share their faith with. And that God would provide this is an unmistakable opportunity.
The results are always amazing. People are suddenly sharing their faith and winning people to Christ. So if you have an interest in being a soul winner try praying and asking God to send people your way this week to share your faith with. Try it. You’ll be surprised!
-Mark 16:15 (NIV)
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Monday, February 12, 2001
Our society seems to be struggling with our commitment to children. Children are very precious to God. Perhaps it is the reflection of the struggle that society is having with its commitment to God?
-Matt 19:13-15 (NIV)
“Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.”
Sunday, February 11, 2001
Miracles are not something to be taken lightly considering that man can’t do them!
-John 14:11 (NIV)
“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”
Saturday, February 10, 2001
If you think small town living is tough, you should see your life from God’s perspective. He knows everything about you, even the things you are thinking. But God keeps a great secret and He doesn’t gossip, unlike so many people. He also sees only the good in His children because He can’t see their sin through the blood of Jesus. Therefore, if God would say something about His children he would only say good things because that’s all He sees. Perhaps earthly fathers, mothers and others could catch on if they spent more time with their Heavenly Father!
-Prov 11:13 (NIV)
“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”
Friday, February 9, 2001
Throughout America there are many food shelves that give away large amounts of food every month. They have a very consistent “customer base.” Many people go to a number of different food shelves each month, which is an obvious abuse of what the service was intended to do. Because of the continuous use of the food shelf by the same people year after year it is a witness that peoples circumstances, intentions or needs do not change or do not change without help. Therefore, the church should consider a stronger support effort for these ministries both physically and spiritually.
We should seriously look at how we may impact the lives of those who the food shelves are ministering to in this way. This may mean compassionately continuing to help those with a genuine inability to meet their own needs. It may mean a loving helping hand to others in getting them to a place where they are self-sufficient. And for those who are abusing the effort of these dear people who operate the food shelves, a loving teaching of the gospel is in order. With more help these food shelves could be tremendous hubs in the front line of ministry.
I challenge you and your church to a greater ministry support effort to the food shelf ministry.
-James 2:1-8 (NIV)
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
Thursday, February 8, 2001
A lot of people have broken hearts. They weren’t born “broken” but the experiences of their lives caused damage and pain that caused a broken heart. Sometimes this is a result of their own choices and other times it is a result of circumstances beyond their control. Often people will continue to live within the confines of brokenness not knowing and understanding that there is a healer. Jesus is the only one who heals broken hearts. So, this Valentines Day, give away your faith to someone and give them Jesus, the “Ultimate Valentine”
-James 2:22 (NIV)
“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”
Wednesday, February 7, 2001
“Matthew 6:25-34”
We put an enormous amount of faith into everyday items. Take cars as an example. We trust the engineers behind these incredibly complex machines far more than some of our closest friends. We have faith, that when we are going 60 miles per hour on the freeway, the cruise control will release when we need to slow down, brakes will work when we need to stop and that the safety
devices in our vehicle will protect us from significant injury if we can’t stop in time. Look at how much faith we have in our cars!
How much faith do you place in God? Can you rely on Him to give you peace after a busy day? Do you expect Him to fulfill what you earnestly pray for? Do you trust His designs and plans to keep you from bodily harm? God is master over everything, the master designer, and the orchestrator of every event. We admit that we know these things, but do we show it on a daily basis?
Do you dismiss the fine workings of your automobile because of human advances in technology or because you are trusting God to get you where you are going?
-Matt 6:25 (NIV)
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
-contributed by Dan Anderson
Tuesday, February 6, 2001
God loved you yesterday. God loves you today. God will love you tomorrow! It’s a sure thing. Not like the stock market!
I wonder what could have been accomplished in the kingdom of God this year if all the money that people have invested in the stock market and lost in the past year had been given (invested) to the church.
-Ps 33:18 (NIV)
“But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,”
Monday, February 5, 2001
The non-believer looks at Christians and says, “God is a crutch!” They couldn’t be more wrong. God is not a crutch. He is a stretcher! He carries most of us a lot of the time.
-Ps 145:9 (NIV)
“The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
Sunday, February 4, 2001
Bring your day to a point of celebration. Celebrating is something that we don’t do enough of in the seriousness of the days of our lives. It is imperative that Christians celebrate daily. Without celebration there is a constant infiltration of negativity and doubt that is contagious and others catch it quickly. When we celebrate we nurture the positive and especially our relationship with God.
So how do we celebrate? Each of us celebrates differently as a human. But spiritually we should celebrate in worship and in relationships with our family, friends and other believers. However, the highest form of celebration is usually done in the lowest points of our lives from the lowest position. The highest form of celebration is in personal worship of Jesus, often on ones knees or even face down before the Lord. Prayer, devotionals and scripture reading is something different than personal worship. Personal worship is something that is never talked about in the church today because it is not commonly practiced. It could well be that the lack of personal worship is the wall that is standing between the church and the mighty revival fires. When was the last time that you experienced personal worship?
-Ps 95:6-8 (NIV)
“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”
Saturday, February 03, 2001
The only way to get peace of mind is to get peace of heart. The only way to get peace of heart is to get peace with God. And the only way to get peace with God is by receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior.
We call it salvation. It means “deliverance.” Certainly when we are delivered by God we have peace of mind, peace of heart and peace with God.
-Col 1:20 (NIV)
“…and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
Friday, February 2, 2001
“Eagles in a Storm”
Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us, and all of us will experience them, we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God’s power to lift us above them. God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
-Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.”
-contributed by Audrey Hudson
Thursday, February 1, 2001
Are you looking for a place to serve God on a mission’s trip this summer? Try your neighborhood!
-Luke 10:27 (NIV)
He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
