What A Night!

Wow!

The Thanksgiving Eve service tonight was amazing! God was strongly present, receiving our worship and grateful praises...

I'm so thankful for a church like ours... with leaders like ours... a worship team like ours (thanks Chip!)... and a Savior like ours!

Thanks again to the Elders and wives for hosting the Simple Supper. You are loved! Thanks for loving us...

The Ushers told me that there were 175 of us in attendance tonight. That's some kind of record, I'm sure. What's more, I've never heard you sing louder! And rambunctious! You had a lot to praise God for, it was obvious. Thank you for such hearts! And for the many of you that didn't have chairs at the Simple Supper, sorry! We'll work on that! (smile)

Again, I'm grateful for a community of faith like Norkenzie. You are dear friends... God bless you this Thanksgiving!

Much love,
Neil

Thankful for the Savior!

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
"He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases."

Matthew 8:17

The leper came with a need and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." The Centurion came with a need - the suffering of his servant. Jesus, amazed at the Centurion's humility, healed the servant. Peter's mother-in-law had a fever. Jesus touched her and the fever left. Many were brought to Jesus and He healed them.

On this Thanksgiving Eve I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus that heals. I am one being healed by the powerful words of Jesus. I am one whom Jesus has taken and carried my infirmities and diseases. And when I think that He's got to be tired of this, Jesus says "I am willing!"

Thank You, Lord, for being a willing Savior. Thank You for being my Liberator, my Healer, my Redeemer and my Friend. Amazing...

Foundations

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 7:24-29

It's a funny thing about the wind and rain... it will come. The question isn't if you need a roof or not, you need a roof. It's going to rain. Have a roof or get wet, eventually. Those are your options. The storms Jesus describes here are not the gentle Fall rains in Oregon, but the Category 4 storms that can rip walls from one another. Guess what! Those storms will come too. It's not a matter of 'if,' but 'when' they will come. Get ready. Jesus offers Himself and His teaching as the foundation for life. When the Category 4, life-shaking storms of life come, those who have built their lives on Him will endure. Any other foundation is shifting sand. A gentle Fall rain is disconcerting to that life (stuff's getting wet around the edges!) and a Category 2 means disaster. Much of life is spent moving the foundation around on shifting sand... and because it's on sand, you can. It's a mobile home, but don't snooze! Don't forget to run from storms or you're history. You can do it, but you're living in paranoia. You're running scared. And do you know how hard it is to have meaningful relationships when you're running? It's hard.

I'd rather be a Storm Chaser! Storms can be scary, but if you're safe and secure in-doors they can be fun. My security comes from having Jesus as my foundation. When I'm in Him, I'm safe. When He is my priority, I'm secure. This storm will pass. The sunshine is arriving soon.

Lord Jesus, I do not trust the security that I can provide for myself. It's a mirage. I need You. Be my rock and strong tower this day.

Fantastic Quote

"I won't lie to you. The sinning was fun... for a while. Then it started to hurt, and hurt badly. That's what sin does. It compounds. It thrills, then kills. It fascinates, then assassinates. (Sin is like a good sneeze. It feels good coming out. Then you have snot everywhere.)"

"Going All The Way" by Craig Groeschel (pg. 23)

Laugh-out-loud funny!

The Spirit's At Work

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11

The Holy Spirit gives each person in the Body of Christ a spiritual gift for the common good. The working out of that gift is the ‘manifestation’ of the Spirit. The use of that gift is how we see the Spirit among us. It is also the Spirit Himself who is working through the use of that gift to bless and strengthen His church. And it is the Spirit who determines who will have what gift to share in with the Body.

When I exercise the spiritual gift that the Holy Spirit has given me, it is Him working through me to bless the church. He is the One who has enabled me with these gifts, so all honor goes to Him. The blessing for me comes in not getting in the way of the Spirit’s work and being a tool in His hand to extend His Kingdom. That is an amazing feeling!

Holy Spirit, You are God and I yield to You this day. Use my life however You want to build and bless Your church. Use my life to bring You honor… and help me to submit and stay out of the way of what You want to do through me. I ask for Your help in being the kind of husband and father that will strengthen my family and bring honor to You. I need Your help in leading Your church in becoming what You want for her. Lead now… I will follow.

Guilty, Yet In The Clear

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

1 Corinthians 4:2-5

Clearly Paul never worked in the Kingdom for the praise of men – but for God. He was a God-pleaser and not a man-pleaser (Galatians 1:10). He has been given a trust and felt required to prove himself faithful… just not to people! He was concerned with the ultimate Judge who will one day separate the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25), giving praise to one and condemnation to the other. Paul said that he didn’t even judge himself. His posture was to serve Christ wholeheartedly, proving himself faithful as a steward of that trust. He did not judge himself but left that to the Lord.

There’s one sentence that I am wrestling with in the context of all this. Verse 4 – “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.”

Maybe this is the reality of the Gospel in Paul’s life and mine. I am not innocent. I am guilty – and yet my conscience is clear! My guilt and sin has been placed on the sacrificial Lamb. He has died for my junk – so while I am not innocent, my conscience is clear. Before the Judge I’ve been set free from the penalty of my guilt.

What does a freed guilty person do? Live free! He proves himself faithful for such a gift.

Father – thank You for this good news! I live for Your glory today.

Demonstrating The Spirit's Power

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Paul was schooled as a Pharisee under Gamaliel. From other texts in the New Testament it is clear that he was intelligent, articulate and even arrogant. He had the tools to be a great Pharisee! Conversion to Christ changed everything for Paul. Now he is preaching Jesus who was crucified. To the Corinthians he said that he did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom, but in weakness and fear and much trembling. His preaching was not with persuasive words. He resolved to only know Jesus Christ, crucified. This is not because he didn’t have an enormous reserve of wisdom. He did! He could have used persuasive words, but he didn’t. The Gospel is about the Savior Jesus and the power of God’s Spirit.

As one who speaks for God regularly, am I pursuing eloquence and persuasive words or a demonstration of the Spirit’s power? Am I preaching any wisdom that is not God’s secret wisdom (2:7) that is found in the Gospel? This wisdom is not secret to those who are indwelt and empowered by the Spirit of Jesus (2:10, 16).

Holy Spirit – forgive me for not inviting You more often into my preaching preparation process. This is Your Gospel. Please lead me in each and every step so that Your power will be on display and not my eloquence. I praise You for using what I have taught, even when I didn’t pause to listen to you very well. May Your power be on display in and through my life, is my prayer.

Dead To This World

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Galatians 6:14

To truly enjoy this world (because there is a lot to enjoy!), being crucified to it and it to you is the way to go. Only when you're free of the world and captivated by Christ can you enjoy this world.

In context Paul is talking about those who put confidence in their own flesh - the fact that they were circumcised. They delighted in others who conformed to this law... they were boasting in their flesh.... but they were not obeying the law. Paul is preaching Christ and teaching freedom. To be free we must be dead to this world. When we're dead we then qualify for resurrection! This is exactly what Jesus does. He re-creates us, giving us new life. This new life is how this world is enjoyed to the fullest - completely under the Lordship of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, be Lord over me this day.