June 22, 2008
"Education has been given us from above for the purpose of bringing to the benighted the knowledge of the Saviour. If you knew the satisfaction of performing a duty, as well as the gratitude to God which the missionary must always feel in being chosen for so noble and sacred a calling, you would feel no hesitation in embracing it. For my own part I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay?" - (David Livingstone)
June 19, 2008
Trust God
So many times I try to get over a temptation on my self. Equip yourself with Gods word and trust God to get you through. Just like the Israelites. They had to equip themselves with the things that God told them to and trusted God to get them through, and they had victory, but when the didn't they were defeated.
Jordan D
Jordan D
June 15, 2008
Showing Your Love
ok....this is going to be short and sweet because I have places to go, things to do and people to meet! ;) However, I wanted to thank you all for your prayers. God has been good and though I often feel frustrated at how slow I am, in advancing in my walk with Him, He has never given up on me. Camp has been going well....its been busy, tiring and sunburning, ;) but overall I have learned a lot and am excited to see what God is going to do during these next couple weeks of junior counselling. One of the quick thoughts I wanted to share with you though is something Pastor Linville said in one of his messages. This really has been staying at the front of my mind recently and though its simple, its point is powerful and convicting. Ok, here it is..."Every temptation is an opportunity for you say 'Lord, I love you more than this sin!" Whenever we give in to our flesh we are basically telling God that we do not value his opinion of us, we do not care that we are breaking our relationship with Him and we do not find Him satisfying. Ouch! Talk about stabbing somebody in the heart!
Chrystal
Chrystal
June 10, 2008
"Friends don't let friends___"
I Cor. 4:21, 5:1,7 “What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness. (5:1) It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. (7) Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be anew lump. . .”
On Sunday Mr. Albaugh mentioned that the Corinthians were a trouble church. I've been working in II Corinthians and some of the passages weren't making sense. The first two chapters talk a lot about Paul's joy and the Corinthian's joy and it didn't seem to tie in with what he was saying. However, when I was reminded that Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was a letter of rebuke, the second letter made a lot more sense.
II Cor. 1:23-2:4 “Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of you joy: for by faith ye stand. But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.”
Paul's purpose for reprimanding the Corinthian Church was that he might have joy when he saw them. He didn't rebuke them for the fun of it or just because he could – in fact he is careful to say that he doesn't have dominion over them – rather Paul rebuked them so that he could have good fellowship with them when he came. He wanted his visit to bring joy and not sorrow. This means two things. First it means that the Corinthians were Paul's friends (on his part at least) and he wanted their fellowship, but more importantly it means that even though they were his friends, he knew he couldn't really enjoy their fellowship if they persisted living in sin. Sure, he could have pretended that all was well and dandy and overlooked their sin and kept them happy for a while, but he knew that in the long run it would destroy their relationship. Tolerance is a buzzword today, everybody is saying tolerance is the only way people can get along and be happy, but tolerance really doesn't work well among friends, at least not when sin is involved. Tolerance of sin will either drive friends apart or wear them down until they are both stuck in the same pit. Either way, it's not pretty. Paul knew this type of tolerance doesn't work, and that is why he confronted his friends and urged them to repent. How often do we ignore sin in our friends lives and make all sorts excuses for them in an attempt to keep them happy so we can enjoy the pleasure of their company? It doesn't work. Sure, if you confront a friend on a big issue you may lose a friend, but chances are you would have lost them anyway unless you had soon joined them. In II Corinthians, God gives us an example of a man who loved his friends too much to turn a blind eye to their sin. That is why “Friend's don't let friends ____” When was the last time you told a friend that God has a problem with something they're doing? It's been way to long for me.
Mike
On Sunday Mr. Albaugh mentioned that the Corinthians were a trouble church. I've been working in II Corinthians and some of the passages weren't making sense. The first two chapters talk a lot about Paul's joy and the Corinthian's joy and it didn't seem to tie in with what he was saying. However, when I was reminded that Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was a letter of rebuke, the second letter made a lot more sense.
II Cor. 1:23-2:4 “Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of you joy: for by faith ye stand. But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.”
Paul's purpose for reprimanding the Corinthian Church was that he might have joy when he saw them. He didn't rebuke them for the fun of it or just because he could – in fact he is careful to say that he doesn't have dominion over them – rather Paul rebuked them so that he could have good fellowship with them when he came. He wanted his visit to bring joy and not sorrow. This means two things. First it means that the Corinthians were Paul's friends (on his part at least) and he wanted their fellowship, but more importantly it means that even though they were his friends, he knew he couldn't really enjoy their fellowship if they persisted living in sin. Sure, he could have pretended that all was well and dandy and overlooked their sin and kept them happy for a while, but he knew that in the long run it would destroy their relationship. Tolerance is a buzzword today, everybody is saying tolerance is the only way people can get along and be happy, but tolerance really doesn't work well among friends, at least not when sin is involved. Tolerance of sin will either drive friends apart or wear them down until they are both stuck in the same pit. Either way, it's not pretty. Paul knew this type of tolerance doesn't work, and that is why he confronted his friends and urged them to repent. How often do we ignore sin in our friends lives and make all sorts excuses for them in an attempt to keep them happy so we can enjoy the pleasure of their company? It doesn't work. Sure, if you confront a friend on a big issue you may lose a friend, but chances are you would have lost them anyway unless you had soon joined them. In II Corinthians, God gives us an example of a man who loved his friends too much to turn a blind eye to their sin. That is why “Friend's don't let friends ____” When was the last time you told a friend that God has a problem with something they're doing? It's been way to long for me.
Mike
June 6, 2008
Famine
In order to have plants grow you need not only the seed but sun and water, we can water with a hose but we cant bring out the sun. The world is having a famine and we need to go and water the crops with the word of God, and that's the farthest we can go. God has to bring out the sun and produce other Christians, BUT GOD WILL NOT WATER IT! WE HAVE TO. We have to fulfill our duties to bear fruit.
Jordan
Jordan
“Yes—But …!”
“Lord, I will follow You, but …” (Luke 9:61).
Isn't that how we are a lot? I mean, we are "willing" to follow Christ, but as long as it's not hard to do, and as long as it goes along with our plans. sometimes God will tell you to do something that is totally against your common sense. what would you do? would you hold back? It's kind of like when you have a habit... if you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And its the same spiritually. Again and again we will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time we will turn back at the true point of testing... until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender.
sometimes Christ does ask us to take a step in the dark. Are we willing to take that step and follow Him?
To our common sense, what Christ asks us to do may seem mad, but trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, take it!!
Rachel
Isn't that how we are a lot? I mean, we are "willing" to follow Christ, but as long as it's not hard to do, and as long as it goes along with our plans. sometimes God will tell you to do something that is totally against your common sense. what would you do? would you hold back? It's kind of like when you have a habit... if you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And its the same spiritually. Again and again we will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time we will turn back at the true point of testing... until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender.
sometimes Christ does ask us to take a step in the dark. Are we willing to take that step and follow Him?
To our common sense, what Christ asks us to do may seem mad, but trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, take it!!
Rachel
June 5, 2008
Setting Appointments and listen
Last night, Gabe mentioned setting an appointment with God, and how we have to do what it takes to keep that appointment. My mind went back to when Mr Huber said, "That sometimes it is good to turn everything off and listen to God." Set an appointment for reading the Bible, praying, listening, and always meditate on our God!
Jordan
Jordan
