Saturday, November 24, 2007

Handling Church Division-God's Way

I recently finished studying Acts chapter 15. God's Word is so amazing to me. Churches face division all the time. God outlines how we should deal with such division in Acts 15.

First, we must seek the counsel of godly men. During the dispute in Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas were sent to the "home" church in Jerusalem for counsel. Those they sought were the remaining original apostles, and church elders.

Second, you must never compromise on essentials to restore unity. In Acts 15, the matter on the table was the teaching that all must be circumcised to be saved. The outcome was to build a bridge between Jew and Gentile so they could fellowship together. This idea of circumcision for all was overruled to allow this bridge to be constructed.

Third, you should give in on non-essentials for the sake of unity. Don't stick to your guns on things like, dresses for woman and suits for men in church, or no dancing. You get the idea.

Another thing you will notice is they handled this division in a timely manner. This is a constant theme in the early church. When something needed to be addressed, they did not sit and ponder it, they acted.

If you get a chance, please read Acts 15. I think you will find it helpful and encouraging.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:20


May this Thanksgiving be a time for us to really focus on our Father who blesses us daily. It is my prayer that we make each day a day of thanksgiving to our Father.

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Humbled by a Hubcap

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4:10)

A number of years ago, someone attempted to steal a hubcap from my car. Apparently, they didn’t know it had lug nut locks and had to be unlocked before removing. As they tried to steal it, they broke it in half. So for a few years, I played the cheap hubcap shuffle. You know, buy a cheap set, put them on but replace after they begin passing you as you are driving down the road. Finally, I decided to put the original set of three back on and drive with one missing. This was truly a humbling experience for me. God used hubcaps to teach me where my heart should be. Not on the material things in life. I could have continued to spend money replacing the cheap hubcaps each time they broke. God taught me otherwise. He taught me that my worth is not in what I drive or how I dress or what part of town I live in. What matters is can I truly humble myself in His presence. Can I truly lift my heart to Him in worship? Can I develop that intimate relationship with Him through His Word?

There are so many distractions out there that interfere and compete with the time we should give to God humbly. God has given me a constant reminder of where my heart needs to be. I get that reminder each time I see my car.

May God give you a hubcap experience!

Monday, November 12, 2007

God Bless Our Vets!!!

This weekend, we as a country celebrated the brave men and women who have served and are serving our country in the armed forces. The older I get, the more I appreciate this holiday of Veterans Day.

I have had the privilege of knowing some great Vets. From WWII, to Korean, to Vietnam, to those serving today.

God Bless all those Vets who have served or are serving this great country, the United States of America. You are truly our heros.

Please take a moment to pray for those currently serving in our armed forces.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

America, A Christian Nation-Noah Webster

Noah Webster was an American Hero. He was a statesman and educator who is best known as the author of his American Dictionary, first published in 1828. In addition to these facts about Noah Webster, he was known to be a man who took Christianity serious.

A couple of my favorite quotes by Noah Webster are:

"Education is useless without the Bible."

"God's Word, contained in the Bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct."

These are just a few quotes by Noah Webster that indicate the importance of Christianity in the founding of this great country, The United States of America.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Mrs. Fields now has "Christmas Collection"

Mrs. Fields Cookies has decided to use the name Christmas for a specific line of their products. After pressure from Christians and others, they now advertise a "Christmas Collection". Check it out at their website.

Keep up the good work. Sermons from the Pew will keep retailers on the radar this Christmas season.

Thursday, November 1, 2007