We had a lovely day! Going to church was awesome - just being in the presence of God with precious saints. We've been longing for this for years! God is answering our prayers. Indeed, we are made aware of many of our shortcomings.
The past two weeks I've been thinking of the message we heard on radio while traveling home from PA. Teens in today's world spend an average of 7-1/2 HOURS of media PER DAY! That includes music, TV, ipod, facebook, twitter, magazines, and all that stuff. I believe many of us parents are included with that.
How many of us are willing to spend that much time reading God's Word instead? This has been on my mind so much, lately. Does it really matter if I don't hear fresh news within the first 24 hours? Is it so important that I go on facebook every day? Or read blog after blog?
I've heard my friends reach this decision, but I've not applied it to myself until recently.
This year 4 of us in our family are reading the entire Bible. And it doesn't take much to get behind! I've been trying to catch up with my reading. And with all the excellent sermons at church, I found myself thirsting more for God and less for facebook and all that other jibber jabber. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE keeping up with you my friends. But I am finding more and more that God is way more important!
Also, frustrations with school are less when I spend more time with God and less with the computer.
Then again, I've been playing piano every day instead of computer time. It's my outlet for praising God. I'm no pro, but I LOVE playing songs. Playing revives a lot of older songs that have been tucked away in my memory. And I love that! I didn't grow up with a piano in my house. It's been a childhood dream to play. God has given me the gift to play a song by ear. I give Him ALL the glory. And I love singing to praise my Lord and Saviour. He deserves our songs of praise.
We had a relaxing Sunday afternoon and evening here at home. After lunch, the sun was shining through the windows in the living room so nice and warm that Merv lay on the floor in the sun and took a nap. It felt so good to him. Landon and I joined him for a short time.
The rest of the time was spent reading the Bible and watching 'Not Without My Daughter'.
I think back to the sermon on radio as mentioned at the beginning of this post. He said, "The closer I get to God, the more sinful I seem to be. It reflects His holiness."
God is a holy God and sin can't be in His presence. I am finding that is so true. God keeps revealing things in my life that I need to change. We need to keep being soft - have a soft and tender heart so that when God speaks to us, we can listen and change to be made more like Christ. And yes, it hurts. This old flesh is hard to die.
SERMON RECAP: still talking about the seed
In Revelation there were 7 churches in Asia. We are representatives of those churches.
There are those who are blind, wretched, and naked walking the streets, and they don't know it. Just look at the nudity in our land. But sadly, there are many in the church who are spiritually blind, wretched, and naked and don't know it. The Word is there, but they're not hearing. The world has heard salvation for over 2,000 years. Looking back to the flesh is not of God.
Some seed doesn't produce because people fail to go on with God. They go to church, but they don't hear.
We are justified by faith.
Our righteousness is as filthy rags. (Grace + nothing) Nothing you do can please God. It takes the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.
Justification moves to sanctification and suddenly, that's where people want to stop! Sanctification means 'cleaned up and set aside for service' - ready whenever God calls you.
The enemy is out to destroy us. He is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He don't sleep! He tries to steal your joy. He'll put you in a comfort zone.
If you don't say something to your children living in sin or the way they dress, you are in the devil's lily pad. By not saying anything, you are compromising! Churches as a whole are not saying anything, they're compromising! It's the devil's lily pad.
The true church is ready to be persecuted, ready to stand on the truths of God's Word. We need not be worried. God will provide just like he did for Elijah. The ravens brought him food and he was beside a brook. When God wanted him to move on, he dried up the brook. God will provide!
Without FAITH, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God!
If you can stand in the most corrupt time of the world, you are born in the the Spirit of God.
Church, we're living in Egypt. This world is not YOUR home. Don't blame Obama for this. God has raised him up for such a time as this.
Church, don't expect it to get any easier. Every person will confess that Jesus is Lord. Wall street will end some day.
Hebrews 11:8-10 'searching for a new Jerusalem'
v. 8 - by faith v. 11 - through faith
By faith Christ went to Calvary.
Through faith we have redemption. By His stripes we are healed.
God uses substance as a carrier. Life in the seed causes it to grow, it's not because of the sun and rain. The blade is the carrier. You don't tear the blade and plant it. There's the tassle - you don't plant it. And the side shoot, the shuck - you don't plant it. All of this is a result of the original seed.
Mary the mother of Jesus was only a carrier, the incubator. Her Creator made a body to incubate (house) her Creator. Mary and Joseph produced more children, but none like Jesus who was born of the spoken Word. Mary saw her need of the Saviour.
Acts 2 - They heard every man in the own tongue (language). There was no running up and down the isles and no confusion!
Matthew 28 - There is only one name JESUS whereby we must be saved. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are ONE.
Money doesn't make you happy. It makes you miserable. God had them get rid of their houses to teach the Word of God. Would you be willing to give up your house to go for Jesus? Church, you don't run from God. You need to have fear for God.
Now the original seed has born a seed. Romans 8:11
This body must be subjected to Jesus, not to men and regulations.
We need to serve God because we LOVE Him. Do I serve God because I want to stay out of hell, or because He daily loadeth me with blessings? No, it's because I love Him. You serve God for any other other purpose, it's in vain.
Marriage: Once the courtship is over, the sheep's wool is unzipped and exposes the wolf. You'd better make sure you have something besides lust for your spouse!
Picture a mother hen setting on a nest of 12 eggs. In order for those eggs to produce chicks, she needs to be with the male. If she has not been with the father, she'll be setting on rotten eggs.
Churches today are full of people. The buildings are BIG.
YOU are the church. YOU are the body.
But our buildings are full of rotten eggs who have never been with the Father! There's a lot of false doctrine. You MUST be born again. Churches are full of dead seed.
We have been called of God. We are to be a separated people - IN the world but not OF the world. There's nothing wrong with telling funny stories. But God doesn't like filth. He doesn't like smut. Keep your stories clean. If we'd spend half our time on our knees............a lot of us are concerned about a bigger buck or turkey. Nothing had better come between you and God. If it has, it is your God.
A lot of us have been feeding on sour substance.
Somehow we let the Word of God sit, then when it come to us, we're in a sour state.
Are we a nest full of rotten eggs - no life?
Church, you can be so loyal to people, reach to them, listen to their troubles, pray for them, but unless you've been with the Father, it's nothing.
If you're not willing to spend time with God, don't expect it in church.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is a Healer. A miracle is something impossible with man. So many times we think we can do it ourselves. If any healing comes, it comes from God. He made all things. Don't credit the aspirin. Give God the glory.
Is anyone gonna know you've been in church today?
Is anyone gonna know you've been in the presence of God? I don't pray enough. You can't be in a perfume factory and tell everyone a lie. Neither can you be in the presence of God and people not know it!
Churches-organizations have molded people into fear.
You respect God's love, mercy, and grace. You respect the Spirit of God.
When that seed becomes a seed, that's God's Spirit in you.
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