Church Dinners

We just had a great church dinner, actually it was a lunch but for some reason I tend to always say dinner. We ate a lot of Spaghetti, or should I say we cooked a lot of Spaghetti, and sent home a lot of Spaghetti. And I took home a lot of food. We totally missed judged how much to cook and how many were going to be there.
In my defense I did ask how many people everyone had invited and we went with that number. There could have been 45 people so we cooked for 50. We had 25.
It always seems to be so difficult to get an accurate number on visitors. You can usually depend on the regulars so getting that count is pretty easy, its the rest of the crowd that is difficult to pin down.

Well I'm just ranting right now. Only because I haven't posted anything for awhile and I'm trying to post often.

To be filled with the Spirit

I was recently reading chapter 6 of " FRESH WIND FRESH FIRE" by Jim Cymbala when I ran across this quote that caught my attention.

"I LONG MORE AND MORE TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, AND TO SEE MY CONGREGATION MOVED AND MELTED UNDER THE WORD, AS IN GREAT REVIVAL TIMES, THE PLACE SHAKEN WHERE THEY ARE ASSEMBLED TOGETHER, BECAUSE THE LORD HAS COME IN POWER." FROM ANDREW BONAR'S DIARY 12/13/1880

Just the thought of that statement runs chills up and down my spine. To imagine being in the presence of God to the point that the place itself shakes. To be so filled with the Spirit that you can sense it so intensely. And to have that prayer to wish that my whole church could, no not could but would also be able to experience it in their own daily walk with God.

It was a powerful thought for me. I don't usually mark in the books that I read unless its for a class that I have to take, but I did mark that statement and I wrote it on an index card to keep it close by. I plan on posting it up in a spot that I will be able to see it easily on a regular basis.

I wonder what kind of revival this country could have if just a few more people thought this way and endeavored to live out their lives in this way.

If we truly attempted to live this life it would be contagious and spread and then revival would be blazing through out the country. 

Sermon message

This weeks message will be about revenge.

The scripture verse is ROMANS 12:19

DO NOT TAKE REVENGE, MY FRIENDS, BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD'S WRATH, FOR IT IS WRITTEN: "IT IS MINE TO AVENGE: I WILL REPAY," SAYS THE LORD.

This can be a difficult thing to do depending on your personality traits. Some people are just wired a certain way and they tend to lean in this or that direction. However I do believe it is possible for people to change the way they think, and respond to situations.

Take some time and look at verses 17-21.

Guess what, it is possible to allow God to be the avenger instead you. If it wasn't He would not have told us not to take revenge.

If it seems too tough to do don't get discouraged.

PHILIPPINES 4:13 tells us that "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENS ME."

We just need to ask God to help us in this area of our life. And He will help us.

Podcast

https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=52696797&refid=asa

How you can help the least of these in your community!

Copy and paste the link above and listen to this great podcast. It is a good listen.

I love the short quote he gives at the end... "change a persons life, change a community"

So powerful and so true.

Memory verses

Just after Thanksgiving a co-worker asked me a simple question that stumped me for a moment. His question was... "what does John 3:17 say?"

My answer was "that's a good question," then I told him that I have had verse 16 memorized since I was a kid, but never memorized verse 17. After thinking about it and reciting verse 16 several times trying to remember what 17 said I answered his question the best I could. I said I don't know it by heart but it says something to do do with Jesus not condemning the world. I then took out my phone and opened up my Bible app, Olive Tree Bible app (https://www.olivetree.com/), and looked it up to find that I was correct.

I got to thinking about that situation for a few days and realized that most people have a favorite verse or a verse that has deep meaning to them. They know what that verse says and what it means to them. Many could probably even tell you their story of how or why it became their favorite. But they don't know what the verses before and after say. Or at least they don't know them by heart, like I didn't know John 3:17 by heart but knew what it talked about.

So this led me to come up with a sermon series about our favorite memory verses and the verses before and after them. I asked my church to write on an index card up to 3 verses that they considered to be their favorites and I would choose 5 and look at a few verses before and after it and do a sermon based on those verses. I also challenged them to take some time and look at a few verses for themselves and just be familiar with what it says. It's just another way of getting closer to God's Word.

I challenge the reader of this post to do the same thing. Take a few moments at the start of your time with God and look at a favorite verse and go up to the start of the paragraph and start reading and go to the end of the paragraph or read the next paragraph. This can give you a better understanding of God.

I'm looking forward to the next 5 Sunday's. 

Happy New Year

Here it is again, the start to a new year.

Looking back I had a good 2017, only a few down swings, mostly average with  few positive highs. All in all, a good year.

Praying that 2018 will be as good and better than 2017.

Hope your year will be better than last.

Less

This is a concept that can be difficult for some people. Our personalities can get in the way.

As we attempt to climb the corporate ladder, we are taught that we have to have great confidence and to put ourselves first in order to be successful. This then tends to take over in our everyday lives.

This thought pattern then also can begin to flow over into our religious lives. That we have to be concerned about ourselves more than others.

This concept of becoming less and making Christ more doesn't seem to fit the mold of today's culture. But when we get out of the way and let Jesus lead the way we become greater than if we tried to lead. By becoming less we actually become more. Sounds backward I know.

It can be tough to do, but I believe that if a person can choose to become a follower in 1 area in the church then that person can begin to train themselves to become less. Then begin to allow Christ to lead you into better things in life.

This is a growing, learning thing for most people. Don't get discouraged, allow God to show you how to put Him first.