Youth Group: A 50-Cent Parable

What are you worth?

I wanted to share a parable about Jesus' sacrifice for you, what it means and how valuable it is. Presented by the CICF Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Nov. 23, 2008, during the annual Thanksgiving gathering. Cast: Michael Quintans, Daniel Custodio, Krista Flores, Myles Dacio, Jimmy Aviles and Jonathan Benjamin.

Moving From Sunday-Only Christians

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. - James 1:22(NKJ)

I've heard about a week of messages, starting last week, pertaining to this very topic...on my favorite radio station, KWVE, the message I heard on Sunday (Sept. 7) at Revival Fellowship, and friends and bloggers like Yvette... seemingly everywhere else I stop and listen!

This from Yvette Nietzen at Fresh Wind Ministries:

BE DOERS OF THE WORD

My husband was speaking to a friend of ours who went to do some work at a couple´s home. The worker commented that the couple did not portray their Christianity, and that he is routinely treated very poorly.

It is sad to say, but these stories are common today. We act like Christians on Sunday, and during the rest of the week we are someone completely different. We behave and say the right buzz words with our Christian friends, but then face the world and act like them during the week.

The word above says that we are to be doers of the word. In other words, be Christ-like in every area of our lives.

I am particular when it comes to treating people. We are all God´s creation, saved or unsaved, and when we interact with others we portray Christ in us. We portray Christ with our words and actions. We are Christ´s representatives on earth.

I would be saddened to hear of someone speaking about me, that person not having a clue that I have Jesus in my heart. I then began to think; If I was belittling a fellow Christian, don´t you think that the Lord would be saddened as well?

Let us learn to be doers of the word in all areas of our lives. Our speech, our manner of treating others, and our actions towards strangers. If we struggle, we have a helper with us that will teach us and guide us every step of the way.

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Fresh Wind Ministries has been birthed with a passion to serve the Body of Christ. Our desire is to impart and teach the deeper things of God to the believer and to lead them onto a new path where they will rise up in the authority that the Lord has already given them.

Our goal is to reach the English speaking people living in Latin America, as well as other countries where the Lord leads. This way we can minister to them in their native language, and have them be refreshed by His Spirit. We believe the End Times Church will rise up in power and authority, and that signs and wonders will be manifest on the earth.

Fresh Wind Ministries believes that we will see a great outpouring of His Spirit upon the earth, and we wait and listen to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. - Fresh Wind Ministries

Rev T Asks: Dead or Alive?

To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. - Revelation 3:1-6

GUEST BLOGGER
This from Rev. T at The New Covenant:

It is interesting to note that the problem that Sardis had to overcome was one of being a dead church. Notice that Christ says that they have the reputation of being alive, but they are dead. Sardis was a very well known, and prosperous city. The Church had a good reputation; they were doing works that Christ points out as not complete. Great at the start, but no follow through.

The problem that had to be overcome is that they were Christians in name only. They were going through the motions, but not working with the Holy Spirit, they were not letting Christ lead the church. As we look around today, do we not see the same things happening? We see dead churches, led by dead pastors, full of dead church members. A church quits living when it starts paying more attention to the world around them, than to their salvation. A pastor, or leader of a church becomes dead when he forgets that the Holy Spirit is the one that directs him and leads the service; he starts to believe that people are showing up because of him, not the Lord. Or when he becomes more concerned with how much money is in the plate, and not the condition of his congregation’s souls.

The worst death in my opinion is the death of the members. When the church becomes a place for the latest fashion show, or the gathering place for the gossip workshop, that is when the members start to experience spiritual death. It is up to each and every member to look after the health of the church. We have to remember that each one of us makes up the church, so the best place to start for a healthy church is within each of us. As this scripture shows a church can be healed, but the members and leaders must wake up! People live life on “auto pilot” every day. However our spiritual journey has no auto pilot switch. We are in control of how high we will fly, or the level we will descend. There is nothing in life that we cannot overcome with Christ; we all can wear robes of white. We just have to make sure we stay awake, and spiritually alive.

Peace,
Rev. T

The plan is to take a daily scripture passage, and put it in to a current perspective. I will keep it as plain and simple as possible. Man has done a wonderful job of making religion far more complicated than it should be. We get so lost in what we want it to mean, we overrun the message. - Rev. T, The New Covenant

When Life is Overloaded

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Do you feel overwhelmed at times? How about overloaded? I do. I'm in the middle of making some tough, life-changing decisions. Career choices, relationship commitments, geographical moves...all these kinds of things that we face in life. Then there's the other stuff...getting behind in bills, health issues, time conflicts, and it goes on and on...and on.

Maybe it's time to get back to our first love. I remember when I truly accepted Jesus Christ as my personal saviour. I physically felt lighter...like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders.

Could it have been His yoke upon me for the first time? I believe so. A yoke is generally thought of as a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (as oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for working together.

Today, let's walk under His yoke...knowing that it fits perfectly and the burden becomes light.

Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.

Versical: Now is the Time

Blogger Mike has been given the gift of writing Christian poetry. He wants to share and encourage those who visit his Versical's Blog.

Often, his poetry speaks to me directly and in an area I am struggling with or need encouragement. Mike prays that God blesses you all. Also, he writes in his About page: "feel free to copy any you like."

This from today's post on Versical's Blog:

NOW IS THE TIME

Now is the time to be the one
Who you are meant to be
Finally you’ve died to self
You are now set free
To use the gifts that you contain
To bring the harvest in
The hands and feet of Jesus Christ
With many a heart to win.

Now is the time to do the things
That you are meant to do
Guided by the precious One
Who lives inside of you
Together you can be a power
To light the days of gloom
If only you will give yourself
Allow The Spirit room.

- Versical

Love That Always Protects

The celebration of Easter Sunday has come and gone. I feel like I need to fast for a week after all the food I ate yesterday...but, the joy I felt throughout the day is something I want to linger for a long time.

Let us be strong in Him, not forget Him from moment to moment...and remember His love is unmatchable.

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Vol. 2:

A CLOAK OF LOVE

Love...always protects. - I Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

When Paul said, “Love always protects,” he might have been thinking of a coat. One scholar thinks he was. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament is known for its word study, not its poetry. But the scholar sounds poetic as he explains the meaning of protect as used in I Corinthians 13:7. The word conveys, he says, “the idea of covering with a cloak of love.”

Remember receiving one? You were nervous about the test, but the teacher stayed late to help you. You were far from home and afraid, but your mother phoned to comfort you. You were innocent and accused, so your friend stood to defend you. Covered with tender-hearted care. Covered with protection. Covered with a cloak of love.

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If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. (Amazon.com)

Get 3:16: The Numbers of Hope now!

Celebrating the Case for Easter

The Easter season is upon us and maybe it's time we reflect on what this celebration really is all about. I've selected some tools here to maybe help us along.

It's not enough to just say, "Well, Jesus was this great guy who lived a long time ago." There's more to it than that. Simply put, He died and rose from the dead for our sins. It's His resurrection that's more than just a big deal. It is our hope and our salvation.

So, to sum it up, this is just a blog post you're reading...but, right there, while you're staring at your computer screen, you can pray that He enters you life.

May you find Him now!

Happy Easter!

- Alexander

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Did Jesus of Nazareth really rise from the dead?
Of the many world religions, only one claims that its founder returned from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very cornerstone of Christianity.

But a dead man coming back to life? In our sophisticated age, when myth has given way to science, who can take such a claim seriously? Some argue that Jesus never died on the cross. Conflicting accounts make the empty tomb seem suspect. And post-crucifixion sightings of Jesus have been explained in psychological terms.

How credible is the evidence for-and against-the resurrection? Focusing his award-winning skills as a legal journalist on history's most compelling enigma, Lee Strobel retraces the startling findings that led him from atheism to belief. Drawing on expert testimony first shared in his blockbuster book The Case for Christ, Strobel examines:

The Medical Evidence-Was Jesus' death a sham and his resurrection a hoax?

The Evidence of the Missing Body-Was Jesus' body really absent from his tomb?

The Evidence of Appearances-Was Jesus seen alive after his death on the cross?

Written in a hard-hitting journalistic style, The Case for Easter probes the core issues of the resurrection. Jesus Christ, risen from the dead: superstitious myth or life-changing reality? The evidence is in. The verdict is up to you.


Also, consider The Case for Easter Book & DVD Set.

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If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. (Amazon.com)

Get 3:16: The Numbers of Hope now!

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Don't pay attention to the critics on this one. The Passion of the Christ is a classic. Mel Gibson's movie focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film begins in the Garden of Olives where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.

Strength in Weakness?

Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:10

It's not easy admitting to being weak when we really want to be strong. We live in a performance driven, success orientated world. Who wants to be weak? Yet, when we find ourselves overwhelmed...wanting financial success, better health, a happier relationship, and so on...we can find hope when there seems to be none.

So, why is it a good idea to admit we are weak...make that a great idea? Because in doing so, we aknowledge God, not ourselves as the creator of our life, our destiny, and our purpose.

Like anybody else, I want success in life. But it doesn't always seem to come my way the way I'd like it to. I was bumming out (old school expression) on the fact that my money situation should be better, my weight should be lower, and my work should be more satisfying. Then, I looked up "strength" in the index part of my Bible...I felt I needed some. That's when I found the verse, 2 Corinthians 12:10, and I was no longer "bumming out."

...For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What a wonderful thing to know! Admit to God that you are weak and He is the one you can lean on for strength, not your own. Just the thought alone should give you strength...and something to remember always.

Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.

The Case for Christ: the Film

Let me ask you this. What if the story of Jesus Christ was picked apart by one of the best crime reporters in the nation? What if that investigative reporter was an atheist who set out to prove Jesus was a myth? And what if that reporter wrote a story about Jesus that was the truth?

You don't have to ponder the questions any longer. It all happened...and the information first became a book, The Case for Christ, and now is a movie available on DVD.

I met Strobel when he was an associate pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. He was a great encourager and a big part of my own spiritual journey. I share this post because it was exciting news for me eight years ago and it is still exciting today!

From Lee Strobel's website bio:

Lee Strobel is an atheist-turned-Christian—once an awardwinning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, now a New York Times bestselling author of nearly 20 books.

Education and Conversion
Lee was educated at the University of Missouri (Bachelor of Journalism, 1974) and Yale Law School (Master of Studies in Law, 1979). In his 14 years’ writing for The Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, he won Illinois' top honors for investigative reporting (which he shared with a team he led) and public service journalism from United Press International.

After nearly two years of investigating evidence of Jesus’ claims, in 1981, Lee became a Christian. He joined the staff of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington IL in 1987 and later became a teaching pastor there. In 2000, he joined Saddleback Valley Community Church in Lake Forest CA as a teaching pastor. In mid 2002, he left Saddleback to focus on writing, and he is also a contributing editor and columnist for Outreach magazine.

Works and Appearances
Lee's other books include God's Outrageous Claims, The Case for Christmas, The Case for Easter, What Jesus Would Say, Exploring the Da Vinci Code (co-authored with Garry Poole) and Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage, which he wrote with his wife, Leslie. For two seasons, Lee was executive producer and host of the weekly national network television program Faith Under Fire.

Lee is also co-author of the Becoming a Contagious Christian training curriculum, used around the world; his articles have been published in magazines such as Discipleship Journal, Marriage Partnership, The Christian Research Journal, Guideposts, and Decision. He has appeared on national radio programs such as The Bible Answer Man and Focus on the Family; he also has taught First Amendment law at Roosevelt University.

The Case for Christ DVD Press Release:

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Case for Christ, a riveting quest for the truth about history’s most compelling figure, features New York Times bestselling author Lee Strobel. The Case for Christ inaugurates a new film series based on Strobel’s bestselling, Gold Medallion-winning book of the same name.

With the drama of an investigative journalist on a tense lead, and drawing on his experience as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, Strobel interviews experts from science, philosophy, and history. Then, retracing his own spiritual journey, Strobel cross examines the experts: How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence exist for Jesus outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual historical event?

The Case for Christ: The Film includes more than an hour of bonus materials: multiple featurettes, musical excerpts, and a collection of study resources complementing the film’s material. Provocative and smart, this unusual DVD stands to transform your views on the past, and the future.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

• “The Uniqueness of Jesus” – scholars discuss why the life, claims, and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are the most unique and important in history.
• “Faith Stories” – scholars and theologians featured in The Case for Christ: The Film iscuss their personal faith and ministries.
• “Prophecies of the Passion” – examines the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death throughout the words of the Old Testament prophets describing details of Christ’s trial, crucifixion, and burial centuries before they occurred.
• Music from The Case for Christ: The Film – excerpts from the digitally mastered soundtrack of the original music score by Mark Edward Lewis
• Reference Library – for interested viewers, a collection of study resources (books and web sites) augmenting material covered in the documentary.
• The Case for the Real Jesus – an introduction to Lee Strobel’s new book
• Lee Strobel Resources – a collection from the works of Lee Strobel.

To purchase the DVD go to Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ DVD at Amazon.com.

As Grace Sinks In

Christ...raised us up together...that...He might show the exceeding riches of His grace. - Ephesians 2:5-6 NKJV

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:

Grace defines you. As grace sinks in, earthly labels fade. Society labels you like a can on an assembly line. Stupid. Unproductive. Slow learner. Fast talker. Quitter. Cheapskate. But as grace infiltrates, criticism disintegrates. You know you aren’t who they say you are. Spiritually alive. Heavenly positioned. Connected to the Father. A billboard of mercy. An honored child.

Of course, not all labels are negative. Some people regard you as handsome, clever, successful, or efficient. But even a White House office doesn’t compare with being “seated with him in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 2:6 NLT). Grace creates the Christian’s resume.