In Spirit & In Truth

Church

I thank God for my Family at Church. We are a fairly new Church that began about 5 years ago starting with one couple attending in my Pastors living room. God has really changed some things since then. I have been with them for about 2 years and my life has never been better! Sure, I have had some mountains to deal with, but it is so much different than it used to be! I was born again before... hungry for God before... etc... but there is just a grace on you when you are in the place that God has prepared for you! We have members in our Church that moved from halfway across the US to attend our Church. They came because God told them to come. What a revelation... doing what God tells you to do... and becoming part of the local Church that God tells you to be a part of. So many people go where they want to go... where their friends go... where their parents went... and they never consult God's will. God does have a say in this and it is for our own benefit to listen. God WILL tell you! He's not witholding that information from you... He's not playing chirades with your life... you just simply need to come before His throne in full assurance of faith... and do not leave or give up until you get the answer. He knows that if you want to badly enough... enough that you will obey when you have the answer... then you will do whatever you need to do and pay any price for it...We should never leave a Church that God doesn't tell us to leave... no matter the reason - no matter how bad it is or what may be going on!Someone I know left a Church because their feelings were unintentionally hurt by the Pastor. They told me that they had been praying about where they needed to go. I later found out that they were visiting other Churches or "trying them out". I never asked this person the following question b/c I knew by the Spirit that is in me that it would fall on deaf ears... "Did God tell you to leave the Church you were in? If He didn't... then why do you think that He is gonna tell you where to go next". I think that people try to put God in a position to where He will agree with them and see things their way. Well, brethren, it doesn't work that way. He's not obligated to answer your prayer when you are in direct disobedience of His Word [acknowledge Him in all of your ways and He will direct your paths... if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God in faith who gives wisdom to all men liberally and upbraideth not]... not to mention all of the times that He has put direction into your heart but you ignored it. Well, praise God... I thank God for the people that He has put around me that encourage me every time I come into contact with them. I know that they are praying for me. When I stand to teach I have to pretend that they are not at least twenty years older than I am... and pretend that this may be the first time that they have heard it. I praise God for the people that He has put in my life and especially for the Church that He has given me to. I thank God for my Church and my Pastors... what a major part of my life they account for. How important it is for you to assemble yourself with a group of believers that God intends for you to work with!

posted by Chris @ 11:00 AM 0 comments

Go to the nations. Rise up and go. The one thing that Jesus emphasized the most - we do the least. Many of the ministries that we have are good - nothing wrong with them at all - but what about the main thing? Yes, local mission work in the USA... but why don't we send more to the other nations of the world? Go into all the world and preach the Gospel... ! He also said that we should go into the uttermost parts of the earth? We don't neccesarily have to go ourselves... if we are not the go-ers... then we are the senders just like the Philippians! When is this gonna be real to people?

posted by Chris @ 1:21 PM 0 comments

Reality

If I have learned anything in the past few years it is :
1. That what seems to be reality to one person is not reality to another. There must be only one reality.
2. There can be differents facts but one truth. There can't be two truths that contradict one another.
3. The majority of the people that I encounter from day to day live without purpose. Others that I may encounter may live with purpose... but the things that they pursue are vain pursuits with a worthless end.
4. That most people, including Christians, live their lives unconsious of God's presence and His will. They either don't know or they are rebelling against His plan for their life. God has a specific plan and purpose for our individual lives that will bring us to a place of joy and total fulfillment. Outside of His plan, one can only hope to find consolation in achievements and self earnings - What kind of legacy will you leave for your children and your children's children? What have you done to help the person next to you?

posted by Chris @ 12:17 PM 0 comments