In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.
- John 1:1-5
Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Fellowship Church in Riverside and founder of the Harvest Crusades, recently released Lost Boy: My Story. Anyone interested in not only how Laurie came to be one of the most prolific evangelicals of our time, but a peak at how Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith's preaching affected many during the "Jesus movement," will want to read this book.
"JMC LIVE" is the husband and wife team of Jeremy and Miranda Caverley. They bring to you the hot topics that affect all of us from a biblical perspective.
JMC LIVE show for Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, at 8 pm EST
"The End of Christian America?"
Writer Jon Meacham and Newsweek play a little premature smash-mouth with Christians, fueled by an erroneously interpreted survey. Be sure to catch The Scrooge Report story: Newsweek Misuses Poll, Flies ‘The End of Christian America’ Banner.
BREAKING NEWS: Unidentified pollsters staking ground outside early ballot voting locations across the U.S. have discovered a common thread in Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and other key battleground states.
With the 2008 Presidential Election results still not in, the anonymous group, with the help of key indicators, was able to make 10 substantial predictions:
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.
and...God approves this message!
Note: Reporters were able to publish this story with the help of an intercepted email from an unidentified campaign brother or sister...ah, er, check that...staffer.
DIGG!
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 11:29–30
As I got out of the shower this morning I had running in my head the song lyrics "I will wait upon the Lord, I will wait upon the Lord. He reigns! He reigns forever!" Not sure of the name of the song or who wrote it, but I took a deep breath and said to myself, "there, that's better. I have connected with my Lord!"
I love it when He does that! When He reminds me that life is so much easier with Him. That's not to say that we are given a free pass on hardship or upheaval. It just means we can lean on Jesus to get us through not only the day, but the rest of our lives!
This from Greg Laurie's Harvest Daily Devotion:
The Two-Part Invitation
In Matthew 11, Jesus follows His invitation to rest with the invitation to take His yoke and learn from Him. He is telling us there is more; His invitation to rest is a package deal. If we are true followers of Jesus Christ, then we will take His yoke upon us. But what does that mean?
The concept of a yoke would have been readily understood by the people of Jesus' day. It was a steering device that was placed on animals to guide the plows or carts they were pulling.
So Jesus, in essence, is saying, "Take my steering device upon you." He is saying, "Let me be in control of your life. Let me guide your life. Let me direct your life."
You might be thinking, "Here Jesus says that He will give me rest. Now He is saying to put on His yoke and learn. That sounds like work."
I want you to know that it will be as much of a weight to you as wings are to a bird. It will be a joy, because now, instead of wasting your life serving yourself or living for pleasure or success or whatever else one lives for, you will be channeling your energies into following and serving Jesus Christ.
You may give up some things to follow the Lord. But what you give up can't begin to compare to what He has given you. It is not just a great thing to do with your life. It is the most satisfying to do with your life.
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
PROVERBS 23:1-12, BLOGGERS EDITION
When you login to network with a moderator, note well what is before you, and delete your post if you are given to trolling. Do not crave his traffic, for that social networking is deceptive.
Do not wear yourself out to get rich or drive more traffic to your site; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at blog ratings, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky or blogosphere like an eagle.
Do not comment in the post of a stingy blogger, do not crave his traffic; for he is the kind of bloggger who is always thinking about his ranking. "Post and comment," he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the little you have Dugg and will have wasted your shouts.
Do not reply to a blogging fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your comments.
Do not try and change moderators rules or trespass on the forums of the clueless, for their webmaster is strong; he will take up their case to ban you.
Apply your heart to your profile and your ears to His "About Me" pages.
- Proverbs 23:1-12 (Bloggers Edition, Alexander)
See also:
Bloggers Demand Miraculous Signs
Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. 
You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.
Though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. - 2 Corinthians 13:4 NKJV
This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:
The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don’t you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution?...
Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal—the other vertical. One reaches out—like God’s love. The other reaches up—as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.
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Reading a Max Lucado book is as comfortable as having coffee and conversation with a close friend. He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart is signature Lucado: warm, conversational storytelling blended with scripture, humor, and vulnerability. Lucado invites us to understand the symbols surrounding Christ's crucifixion and celebrate the significance of the promises they offer. From the sign in different languages tacked to the cross ("I will speak to you in your language") to the burial clothing ("I can turn your tragedy into triumph"), he speaks of each symbol as a "gift of grace" that reveals God's love for mankind... - Amazon
The answer to personality problems is found in a quiet return to Godlike thinking. - Science of Mind magazine
It's not easy being peaceful in a turbulent world. Chances are that spending 10 minutes watching the news these days will not do wonders for your inner peace.
I often look back with a chuckle at a Seinfeld episode in which George's dad, trying to pre-empt a tizzy fit, would look to the sky and shout, "Serenity now! Serenity now!"
If only it were that simple!
I was reminded yesterday that it could be one of a number of things that could prompt me to be in a better mood... and even be at peace. It was a quick visit to a pastor friend of mine. In 20 minutes I was truly listened to, encouraged, uplifted, and ready to rock the world!
I know I was experiencing God at work, doing what He does best...comfort and strengthen. Whether it be in your own quiet time, through a song, or through a friend...God works to make your life better...and peaceful!
This from Hazelden's Today's Gift email:
When we're edgy and critical or perhaps feeling inadequate or depressed, we've lost our attunement with God. And when acting the way God would have us act is no longer our priority, our character defects once again emerge and, in time, grow ever more numerous.
We can make the simple decision to always check out our proposal behavior against the behavior we know is from God. When we remember to think of God first before proceeding, we avoid unnecessary conflicts; we refrain from consciously hurting anyone; we manage to take our experiences restfully, moment by moment.
There's really no mystery to having a rewarding and peaceful life. Those we notice who do have likely made a more frequent companion of God than we. The decision to work more on our own friendship with God is an easy one to make.
I will act according to God's wishes today and, in the process, strengthen our friendship.
This devotion from Hazelden comes from the book In God's Care: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery by Karen Casey.
In God's Care guides readers in understanding and strengthening their connection with a Higher Power, however they choose to define that presence. With the inspiration and support unique to Hazelden meditation books, In God's Care offers encouragement and guidance for "practicing the presence of God" in daily life. - Amazon.com
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Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. - Colossians 3:23
This from Henry Blackaby's Day by Day:
There is an important difference between doing something for people and doing something for God. God always deserves our best effort. People will disappoint us, betray us, neglect us, and mistreat us. Some will constantly ask for what we can give while offering nothing in return. From our human perspective, these people deserve our minimal effort at best. What then should motivate us to serve people, except our love for God? God deserves our love, and He demands that we love others in the same way He does. We are to love our spouses, not as they deserve, but as God commands (Eph. 5:22–33). We are to treat our friends, not as they treat us, but as Christ loves us (John 13:14). We are to labor at our jobs, not in proportion to the way our employer treats us, but according to the way God treats us. God is the One we serve (Eph. 6:5).
Mediocrity and laziness have no place in the Christian’s life. Christians must maintain integrity at home and in the workplace. Working for God, as opposed to working for other people, changes our perspective as we view our endeavors in light of what He has done for us. Our toil then becomes an offering to God. We not only worship God at church on Sunday, but our labor throughout the week is an offering of worship and thanksgiving to the One who has given us everything we have. When people do not measure up to our expectations and we feel our efforts are being wasted, we must keep in mind that we are toiling for holy God. He is worthy of our best effort.
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Gold Medallion Award winner "Experiencing God Day-By-Day" is based on Henry Blackaby’s multi-million selling Experiencing God book and Bible study. Find insight and grace in this 365-day devotional focused on the divine presence in each life. This book will help you see what God has instore for you while sustaining the essential habit of turning to God on a daily basis.
Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me! It's just a childhood chant, but although we can put up a good front about hurtful words not hurting, the truth is they can be damaging at any age.
More importantly, it's the "good" words that hold the true power.
My question is this...why waste time on discouraging words, knowing how powerful encouraging words can be?
This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:
WORDS OF STRENGTH
When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. - Ephesians 4:29
Before you speak, ask: Will what I’m about to say help others become stronger?
You have the ability, with your words, to make a person stronger. Your words are to their soul what a vitamin is to their body. If you had food and saw someone starving, would you not share it? If you had water and saw someone dying of thirst, would you not give it? Of course you would. Then won’t you do the same for their hearts? Your words are food and water!
Do not withhold encouragement from the discouraged.
Do not keep affirmation from the beaten down!
Speak words that make people stronger. Believe in them as God has believed in you.
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Find Max Lucado books at Amazon.com!
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
There's something about the stream of thoughts on the internet that makes humanity very real...and that includes the exposition of good and evil.
Blogging, forums, discussions, and comment sections bring out the best and worst in people.
I'm going to try and discuss this kind of "spiritual battle" as often as I can here. I wanted to start today with part of this discussion found at BlogCatalog.
If you are new to social networking, just hang in there...there's nothing too complicated. Just follow along.
The group at BlogCatalog is Religious Debate. The Discussion headline: to all blievers. The discussion text: to all believers 2 simple questions do you thing that your religion is the true and the only true religion and if yes then why
BlogCatalog does a great thing...they allow "religious" discussion although, there was a moment when its managers were fed up with the "personal attacks" (a common social networking problem) so, they decided to sequester "religious topics" out of general discussion and into its own discussion group. However, it appears that's no longer the case.
Anyways, my response to the "2 simple questions" is this:
I don't belong to a particular "religion". I am Christian (which is not a religion). It means I am saved through Jesus. Yes, I made a decision to follow Him...but it was by His grace that I can have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus is the door.
My faith is real by the assurance I am given since the time I made that decision.
Now, whether someone follows a certain "religion" and then is able to spend eternity in heaven upon his death or not...is not my call!
Let me say this, I would highly discourage anyone from ignoring the possibility that Jesus is the answer! He has been for me and millions of others. My life has been transformed...and I have never been the same since!
....and I still have "fun"!
You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.
The drumbeat from non-believers in the U.S. is deafening...we are not a Christian nation, we were not founded on Christian principles, the Constitution is for separation of church and state...and so on.
I beg to differ.
This from PresidentialPrayerTeam.org:
PRESIDENTIAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
— John Adams, October 11, 1798
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Consider picking up a copy of Lee Strobel's The Case for Easter Book & DVD Set. Doing so just may change someone's life!
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.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—Jews first and also Gentiles. - Romans 1:16
This from Greg Laurie's Harvest Daily Devotion:
In his book, The Devaluing of America, former Secretary of Education William Bennett made this statement. "During my tenure as U. S. Secretary of Education, nothing I said seemed more unforgivable than my good words about religion. I was attacked as an Ayatollah when I supported voluntary school prayer and the posting of the Ten Commandments in school."
His experience is so typical of our culture today. You can say anything. You can believe anything. But if you stand up and say there are absolutes, if you say there is right and wrong and the Bible says so, then you are accused of hurting our society. You are the worst possible thing that could happen to our culture. Ironically, the very problems that are the result of society's rejection of God are then placed at the feet of the Christian, as though the Christian has brought these troubles on our culture.
But this is not the first time in history that Christians have become scapegoats for the ills of a culture. Christians were blamed for the burning of Rome when it was Caesar Nero who was largely responsible for its destruction.
We live in a time when people are standing up for all sorts of causes. We have people standing up for the rights of animals. We have people standing up for the environment. We have people standing up for perverse sexual lifestyles. We have people standing up for everything imaginable, even willing to die for their cause.
Isn't it time that we, as Christians, stand up for what we believe? It's time to stand up and be counted.
The Gospel of John can be challenging reading, but in the hands of pastor Greg Laurie, it's the perfect material for daily devotional reflections. In the same accessible style that has made him a popular pastor, speaker, and television and radio host, Laurie shares stories and images of Jesus from the Gospel of John woven with additional Scriptures and anecdotes. The result is a ninety-day devotional that offers biblical substance and theological depth presented in clear, engaging language. Readers looking for devotional reading centered on Jesus will enjoy Laurie's blend of important spiritual substance and accessible narrative style. - Amazon.com
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I'm Not Ashamed
by Delirious? from Cutting Edge album
There was a time as a little boy
When I said I'd follow you
But the years have caused the flame
To burn much stronger now
And I'm not burning down any of my bridges
But I'm burning up inside
To flee from my religion and love my
neighbour more
I'm not ashamed of the gospel
I'm not ashamed of the one I love
I'm not ashamed of the gospel
I'm not ashamed of the one I love
But even there, if you seek God, your God, you'll be able to find him if you're serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. - Deuteronomy 4:29 MSG
I was now 38 years old and having to look for some way to fix a life that wasn't really working. A short-term marriage, a bankruptcy, and a life of anxiety were enough negative marks to qualify for outside help I reasoned.
Upon trying to lean into my court-ordered 20 Alcoholic Anonymous meetings I had no idea what to expect. I thought maybe the meetings were going to be too spiritual, too bright, too cheery, and maybe something I just could not hold on to. After all, these people were probably really different from me. How could I relate to people living in such a different world?
At my first AA meeting I found myself open minded. So open minded that my outlook took me by surprise. I was ready to make my life better and I had no idea what was prodding me on. As I looked around the room and heard people share about their everday struggles, share about their anxieties, and share how their lives had previously been with alcohol, something great happened. I could relate!
At some point during the meeting I exclaimed in my own thoughts, "These were my people!" I reflected on the meeting after it was done and told myself I could probably hang out at these meetings for a while. After all, these people didn't appear to be too spiritual, or too bright, or too cheery.
I had come to a place where we all shared common ground. We were all seekers of something better.
Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.
Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following. . . .Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" - John 21:20-21
This from Henry Blackaby's 'Day by Day:'
The first thing you do after God speaks to you is critical. Jesus was telling Peter what type of ministry he would have and what type of death he would suffer (vv. 18–19). It was a sacred moment in Peter’s life, as his Lord pulled back the curtain to his future. His was not to be an easy life but a life ordained and blessed by his Lord and Master.
Rather than responding to what Jesus told him, Peter looked around at his fellow disciples. His glance fell upon John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. “But Lord, what about this man?” Peter asked. Peter had just been given the somber news of his future death. How natural to compare his assignment with that of the others! This is the great temptation of God’s servants: to compare our situation with that of others. Did God give my friend a larger house? Did God heal my friend’s loved one and not mine? Did God allow my friend to receive appreciation and praise for his work while I remain anonymous? Did God allow another Christian to remain close to her family while I am far removed from mine?
Jesus assigned Peter and John to walk two different paths, but both Peter and John have enriched our lives. Jesus knew how dangerous it is when a servant takes his eyes off the master to focus on a fellow servant. Where is your focus? Have you become more concerned with how God is treating someone else than you are with how He is relating to you?
Much of the ministry of Dr. Henry T. Blackaby flourished with the publication of Experiencing God. Go to Blackaby Ministries International to learn more.
Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God
As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is his love for those who respect him. - Psalm 103:11
This from Max Lucado's 'Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:'
The big news of the Bible is not that you love God but that God loves you; not that you can know God but that God already knows you! He tattooed your name on the palm of his hand. His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the shore. You never leave his mind, escape his sight, flee his thoughts. He sees the worst of you and loves you still. Your sins of tomorrow and failings of the future will not surprise him; he sees them now. Every day and deed of your life has passed before his eyes and been calculated in his decision. He knows you better than you know you and has reached his verdict; he loves you still. No discovery will disillusion him; no rebellion will dissuade him. He loves you with an everlasting love.
