Are you in love?

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Have you ever noticed that when people are in love, they tend to forget everything else? Everything becomes secondary — cars, houses, money — nothing matters — it is all secondary to love. Then, when they fall out of love, as in a divorce, all of a sudden those things mean everything! They argue about all the little meaningless things they ever owned together. Each wants it all for himself.

The same is true with the Lord. Before we know Him, all we really have are possessions. But when we come to know God — truly know Him — those things mean very little — we’re in love! We’re willing to give up everything. Those people who are most in love with God and filled with His love are the least possessive and the least materialistic.

If we have been wrapped up in our possessions, we’ve lost sight of our greatest treasure! All that stuff means nothing. Let go of it. Return to your first love. Lighten your heart and fall in love again with the love of God!

Promise Keepers Lead Rally to ‘Revive Detroit’

CBN News story….Detroit is picture perfect from a distance. But up close it’s a picture of urban decay. High poverty rates, high crime rates, and high unemployment are driving people away.

Detroit Police Sgt. John Bennett has patrolled the city’s streets for more than 16 years.

“I don’t know how much longer I’m going to stay honestly. I don’t know how much longer I can hang on,” he told CBN News.

“We’ve lost in the police department a thousand officers that haven’t been replaced in the last five to six years,” he said.

Motor City‘s problems are simply bigger than police and government. That’s why 50 area pastors are coming together to pray and to plan.

And they’re being led by Promise Keepers, a Christian organization with a mission to unite men to become warriors to change their world.

“Number one, is it is a revival, renewal, and a rediscovery of the word of God,” Promise Keepers president Dr. Raleigh Washington told CBN News. “There are a lot of solid churches in the Detroit area doing a great job, but it needs to be on a combined basis. That is why the pastors are coming together.”

With Detroit’s problems being so deep and so large, how can pastors make a difference? PK President Dr. Raleigh Washington and PK founder Bill McCartney addressed that question and more on CBN News Channel Morning News, Aug. 23.

The Promise Keepers’ “Reviving Detroit Summit” included a message from former Muslim Brotherhood terrorist Kamal Saleem. Saleem told pastors radical Islam made a conscious effort to divide the city as early as the 1960s.

Nevertheless, Washington said, “I am not preaching against Islam.”

“I am preaching for Christianity because I believe Jesus Christ is the only way, the only truth and the only life,” he explained. “When I hear Islam or anyone preaching different, that goes against what the Bible says.”

Dr. Washington said it’s time for Detroit Christians of all backgrounds to stand together to pull their city from the brink of disaster.

“Racial reconciliation is critical because it undergirds oneness,” he said.

And he believes standing one with God is enough to bring revival to the Motor City.

So you think you’re poor?

From the standpoint of material wealth, many people have a hard time realizing how rich they are. Going through a little mental exercise suggested by Robert Heilbroner can help us to count our blessings, however. Imagine doing the following, and you will see how daily life is for as many as a billion people in the world.

1. Take out all the furniture in your home except for one table and a couple of chairs. Use blanket and pads for beds.

2. Take away all of your clothing except for your oldest dress or suit, shirt or blouse. Leave only one pair of shoes.

3. Empty the pantry and the refrigerator except for a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a few potatoes, some onions, and a dish of dried beans.

4. Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, and remove all the electrical wiring in your house.

5. Take away the house itself and move the family into the tool shed.

6. Place your “house’ in a shantytown.

7. Cancel all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and book clubs. This is no great loss because now none of you can read anyway.

8. Leave only one radio for the whole shantytown.

9. Move the nearest hospital or clinic ten miles away and put a midwife in charge instead of a doctor.

10. Throw away your bankbooks, stock certificates, pension plans, and insurance policies. Leave the family a cash hoard of ten dollars.

11. Give the head of the family a few acres to cultivate on which he can raise a few hundred dollars of cash crops, of which one third will go to the landlord and one tenth to the money lenders.

12. Lop off twenty-five or more years in life expectancy.

By comparison how rich we are! And with our wealth comes responsibility to use it wisely, not to be wasteful, and to help others. Think on these things.

Some verses on wealth

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Proverbs 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Proverbs 28:22 A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.

How’s your balance?

The following blog is taken from a Christian Surfing website. Yes, that’s right, a surfer Christian who writes an awesome blog, and this morning I want to share this one with you. Please go to his website and visit him at http://www.christiansurfers.com/index.php And now this mornings blog.

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Nik Wallenda recently tightrope walked across the Grand Canyon, an amazing feat that you can check out online (if you didn’t see it). After it was over he commented that there was one aspect of the walk that he didn’t anticipate. Attached to the cable that Nik walked on were weights hanging down to reduce the “bounce” of the cable. He stated that the stationary nature of the canyon wall as a back drop with the swaying of the hanging weights, as the wind blew, caused an optical illusion. Basically, it messed with his mind as he looked down to take his next step and saw the moving weights and the non-moving canyon wall. Ones mind is challenged with which one is real and which one to trust.

This reminds me of living as a believer in our world. There is the stationary nature of truth, God’s word – the Bible. But, then there is the ever swaying voice of culture and our world. We are left to make decisions about our next steps – will we balance based on God’s unchanging truth or the ever changing opinions and lies of this world.

What Nik had to do was first recognize that those weights were moving and couldn’t be trusted and then secondly, he had to focus on the unchanging canyon wall. It is the same for us. Have you noticed that the surfing world lies to us? What are some of the lies you’ve picked up on? Be on your guard that it will continue to lie to you. Next, are you building your life, taking steps – based on the Bible?

Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correccting and training in righteousness…”

15 Things God won’t ask you

1. God won’t ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.

2. God won’t ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3. God won’t ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.

4. God won’t ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed.

5. God won’t ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life.

6. God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.

7. God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.

8. God won’t ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.

9. God won’t ask what your job title was, but will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

10. God won’t ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.

11. God won’t ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.

12. God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.

13. God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.

14. God won’t ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.

15. God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn’t.

What I’ve learned, and sometimes the hard way

I’ve learned– that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I’ve learned- that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.

I’ve learned- that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I’ve learned- that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I’ve learned- that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.

I’ve learned- that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.

I’ve learned- that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I’ve learned- that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I’ve learned- that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I’ve learned- that you can keep going long after you can’t.

I’ve learned- that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I’ve learned- that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I’ve learned- that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I’ve learned- that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I’ve learned- that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I’ve learned- that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I’ve learned- that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I’ve learned- that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I’ve learned- that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I’ve learned- that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned- that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I’ve learned- that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I’ve learned- that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological.

I’ve learned- that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I’ve learned- that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I’ve learned- that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I’ve learned- that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I’ve learned- that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned- that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I’ve learned- that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I’ve learned- that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I’ve learned- that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I’ve learned- that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

I’ve learned- that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I’ve learned- that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I’ve learned- that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I’ve learned- that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe.

But the most important lesson of all is that no matter how bad I mess things up….no matter how far I stray…now matter how much of a sinner I have become…Jesus died on the cross, I am forgiven, and God always loves me. Now that is a lesson I cannot afford to forget.

No Sunday Morning excuses

To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special “No Excuse Sunday”:

Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, “Sunday is my only day to sleep in.”

There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard.

Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night.

We will have steel helmets for those who say, “The roof would cave in if I ever came to church.”

Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot.

Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present.

Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can’t go to church and cook dinner, too.

We will distribute “Stamp Out Stewardship” buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money.

One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature.

Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday.

The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them.

We will provide hearing aids for those who can’t hear the preacher and cotton wool for those who think he’s too loud!

The whispers of temptation, do you listen to them, or turn a deaf ear?

Temptation…it whispers to us. It appeals to our pleasure, arouses our attention, and can make us fall quicker that a ton of dynamite. Temptation is like stepping into the quicksand of sin and sinking fast.When temptaion leads to sin, people respond in many different ways. Some cry like they’ve never cried before, filled with shame and remorse, but most hide in the deepest parts of their hearts, afraid, alone, hurt and ashamed with waves of guilt crashing around them like the ocean waves. These, and feelings like them, are common when we know we’ve gone to far, made the wrong choices, and and led a reckless life. We self-destruct, but it was our chosing that got us there.

Temptation seems to creep around when we least expect it. We fool ourselves into thinking that we’re strong and can handle it. Satan knows just when to push our buttons, however. At just exactly the wrong time, when we least expect it and our defenses are down, the enemy shows up with His bag full of temptations. He has a way of tricking us into thinking it’s all right, aking us see various shades of grey rather than the black and white of right and wrong.

Sometimes temptation comes in the form of things, places, and people to bandage the wound in the soul that cannot humanly be met. The need was created by God and for only God to fill. Everything else will feel empty and incomplete. Everyone has emotional needs that they try to meet in inferior ways, like ungodly friendships, emotional affairs,  obsession with work, food, and money, and the list goes on and on into infinity. In other words, they they grab on to false ways to meet their needs that only the Lord can satisfy.

We have to look at temptation for what it really is. Temptation, when it stands alone, is just a withering, shrinking lure. Despite how often we see it, it has no power unless we just give in to it. Remember that temptation itself is not a sin, Jesus was tempted, but giving in to the lure is where we fall into the catagory of Sinfulness.

Remember that we are never alone in outr struggles with temptation. We have a mighty God who has the transforming power to change us into Godly people, satisfy our deepest needs, be our greatest defense against the enemy, protect us, keep us from temptation, and deliver us from evil. Our victory over Satan has already been won through Christ.

Some passages to study the issue of temptaion include:

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

James 1:12-16 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Hebrews 2:18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple …

Is your Church a fortress, or a refuge?

There’s a Church accross the street from us that has one of the most unique neon signs in Las Vegas (And there’s a lot of them here) always flashing some new catchy phrase or message. That sounds pretty cool, right? Well, while I don’t really oppose it, I do wish they would change the message and mindset.

On this sign, they are always running a brightly colored slogan about what the Church has to offer and inviting them to come in. The problem is that they expect people to take the first step and go to the Church, when if you look at the Biblical concept of God‘s House, it should be going to the world.

It’s easy to stay behind the security and safety of walls, but if we really want to make a difference and become a Church like Jesus and the early Apostles showed us, we would be going out on the streets to where the people are. It’s very rare that someone will look at a sign and just pop into a house of worship, they need to be invited. They need to know that there are people who care about them, and most of the time that’s not going to happen with an invitation, but it will happen if someone from the Church takes a step outside and SHOWS them they care.

Now I’m not bashing this Church at all, I’m sure it does a lot of great things, but here’s what concerns me about this congregation. This Church is right in the middle of the foreclosure capital of the nation, and they are constantly building onto the grounds while people are losing their homes a block away. I would love to see them coming out from behind the fortress that they are building, and going out among the people that live nearby and seeing how, or if, they could help. Imagine what kind of a ministry that would be. I can just picture the scenerio…someone is losing their home and don’t know where to turn. Suddenly they get a knock at the door. It’s someone from the Church accross the street. The heart-broken person breaks down crying while telling their visitor from the House of God how they feel like they are losing everything and are scared. The person from the Church offers to help them with groceries and starts to pray with them. They may still  feel scared, tbut now there’s renewed hope. They see that the words of Jesus are more than just words, they are demonstrated though His followers. They have a new found sense of hope, it’s called Jesus. Now that’s evangelism.

I know a lot of Churches would love to do more outreach, but in most cases the interest from the congregation isn’t there. Having said that, ask yourslef this morning if you’re active enough in the Church to where they can come out from behind their walls. If the volunteers are there, and your Church still isn’t doing outreach, pray on it and see where the Lord leads you. Maybe simply ask someone how you can help to reach more people for Jesus. Often times encouraging your Pastor through the gift of volunteering will inspire Him.

Please read the scripture below that backs up what I’m talking about this morning, and please help someone outside of the walls today… 🙂

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Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

 

Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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Luke 10:25-37

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

The latest news story from the Christian Post…no age restriction or permission needed for the morning after pill.

The Story below just shows how little value is placed on the life of our unborn children these days. What do you think?

A federal judge in New York ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday to make the Plan B emergency contraceptive pill available to young teens and girls without a doctor’s prescription. The White House promptly responded by saying the age restriction was the “right common-sense approach.”

While today’s women need to prove at the pharmacy they are 17 or older to be able to buy the morning-after pill, U.S. District Judge Edward Korman for the Eastern District of New York ruled Friday that women of any age should be able to buy emergency contraception without a doctor’s prescription, according to The Associated Press.

President Barack Obama had supported a 2011 decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius setting age limits for Plan B One-Step and its generic versions, which can prevent pregnancy if taken soon enough after unprotected sex. Obama had then supported Sebelius, saying she acted because she wasn’t sure that an 11-year-old “should be able, alongside bubble gum or batteries…to buy a medication that potentially, if not used properly, could end up having an adverse effect.”

Korman, too, acknowledged that the case was controversial, as “it involves access to emergency contraception for adolescents who should not be engaging in conduct that necessitates the use of such drugs,” but he called Sebelius’ decision “politically motivated, scientifically unjustified and contrary to agency precedent.”

Justice Department spokeswoman Allison Price said Friday that the decision of whether to appeal would be taken soon. “The Department of Justice is reviewing the appellate options and expects to act promptly,” she said.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Friday the president hasn’t changed his position. “He believes it was the right common-sense approach to this issue,” Carney said.

The Family Research Council expressed “serious concerns” regarding the court ruling.

“This ruling places the health of young girls at risk. Making Plan B available for girls under the age of 17 without a prescription flies in the face of medical information and sound judgment,” said Anna Higgins, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the FRC, in a statement. “I am very troubled that the court has not fully taken into account the concerns expressed by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and many public health advocates that there is not enough data on the health effects of Plan B on young girls.”

The court order was in response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights in 2005. “More than twelve years have passed since the citizen petition was filed and eight years since this lawsuit commenced,” Korman wrote. “The FDA has engaged in intolerable delays in processing the petition. Indeed, it could accurately be described as an administrative agency filibuster.”

“Today science has finally prevailed over politics,” Nancy Northrup, president and chief executive of the liberal advocacy group, said in a statement. “This landmark court decision has struck a huge blow to the deep-seated discrimination that has for too long denied women access to a full range of safe and effective birth control methods.”

The morning-after pill contains a higher dose of the female progestin hormone – to prevent ovulation or fertilization of an egg – than is in regular birth control pills. However, if a woman already is pregnant, the pill has no effect.

About 19.7 million new sexually transmitted infections were reported in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Based on the CDC’s estimates, that brings the total number of STIs in the country to just over 110 million, and most of the new cases crop up in young men and women aged between 15 and 25. “Making Plan B available over-the-counter for any age will put many of these young girls at further risk because it circumvents necessary medical screening for sexually active girls,” Higgins said.

There is also a real danger that “Plan B may be given to young girls, under coercion or without their consent,” Higgins added. “The involvement of parents and medical professionals act as a safeguard for these young girls. However, today’s ruling removes these commonsense protections.”

However, some see the morning-after pill as a way of reducing teenage pregnancy.

The New York City Department of Education last year decided to make the morning-after pill available without parental consent to high school teenage girls as young as 14, at 13 public schools, expanding a program that began in 2011.

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, then told The Christian Post that the decision was “the kind of imperial edict that demands a lawsuit.”

“Whenever it comes to sensitive issues such as sexuality, the government must always play an ancillary role to that of parents,” he said. “The provision that parents can opt out smacks of governmental arrogance and must be resisted: the government has no business eclipsing parental rights.”