Sunday, September 19, 2010

Homeless Tent City



haRdLy NOrMal has a good interview with Caleb Poirier at homeless tent city Called Camp Take Notice near Anarbor Michigan. In the article there are links to other tent cities.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Prayer Resources Link

Here are some prayer resources I just ran across at a 24/7 prayer web site.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

God's Choosen Fast

I have been reading and praying and thinking about spiritual breakthrough. One of the passages that mean the most to me is Isaiah 58. It shows us that we are not to seek our own benefit but the benefit of others.

Helping the poor is the way that Jesus approached His ministry. And it is the way Jesus wants us to reach out to others. Matthew 25

I don't accept the idea that these verses are not talking about physical needs. That is what they are talking about. You can apply them to other needs as well but physical needs is the primarry thing it is talking about.

The Pen of the Wayfarer has a good article on this subject.

A sermon titled:
The Chosen Fast - Isaiah 58:6, A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick addresses the issue of having a heart right before God before you fast. The Isaiah 58 fast is the way to get your heart right.

And again in this Talk Jesus forum it is brought out that we need to get our heart right.

And in a sermon audio site this topic comes up again of God's Chosen Fast.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Psalm 82

Psalm 82

v 1a God takes His stand in His own congregation;

When God stands He is going to act. Or when God stands
He is moved. Anytime I think about God standing I think
of the stoning of Stephen. God could not sit on the throne
and watch one of His children die. It is the same here. God
has to make a change, because the leaders are not judging
correctly.

v 1b He judges in the midst of the rulers.

Leaders in the church will receive a stricter
judgment. Those who teach lead others. And they will
effect the way other people will grow in Christ. It is good
to be a leader but there will be a stricter judgment.
Ezekiel talks of leaders that have led the people astray.

v 2 How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality
to the wicked?

The ways of the world entice. Money flows from people
that know the ways of the world. The world will accept
those that agree with them. We all want acceptance from
others. To counter this we need to look to God for
acceptance. Our peace and fulfillment should flow from
Him.

This next verse explains what God's leaders should be
doing.

v 3a Vindicate the weak and fatherless;

Many look at the fatherless as less of a person and a reject.
People look at themselves this way when they don't have a
father. A leader will teach these people how to overcome
their basis and others basis against them.

v 3b Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.

How do we do justice? Treat people the way they are
supposed to be treated. Jesus identifies with the poor. Matt.
25 talks about how we serve Jesus when we serve the poor.
Isa 58 shows the importance of helping the poor and the
reward of God's light to those that do.

v 4 Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

Job used his influence
and money to help these people. James said that true
religion is to help the poor. 1 John says that we don't have
love if we don't help the poor.

v 5a They do not know nor do they understand;

The leaders are clueless of how to lead. The ministry of the
Holy Spirit is not with them! They are blind guides leading
the blind.

v 5b They walk about in darkness;

1 John says that if we don't have love we are blind.
Christians are known for the love they have for one
another. If we don't love others as the Scirptures ask us to,
we can't see. Faith works through love. If there is no love
there is no effective faith. And if we are not effective we
will not be an influence in the world.

v 5c All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

This could mean that what we do will effect the earth and
those who live here. We effect the world either good or
bad.

v 6 I said you are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High.

Jesus refereed to this passage. There is nothing we can't do.
Genesis. What we desire God will give us. We can create
just as God can. We are new creatures in Christ and we
work together with Him to reach the world with the gospel.

v 7 Nevertheless you will die like men, and fall like any one
of the princes.

Though God has given us all power in the sense that He
will answer our prayers of faith. Mountains can be moved
and Churches can be built. Our life on earth is finite and we
only have so much time. We are to number our days and
show wisdom in what we do.

v 8Arise, O God, judge the earth! for it is Thou who dost
possess all the nations.

Though God has given us so much we must remember that
God is the ultimate power. Through Him we can change the course of the world. Peoples lives stand in the balance. What we do makes a difference.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Faith


We hear God mainly from the Bible as brought to our spirits by the Holy Spirit.

Hope then springs up within our hearts because of these promises.

Then with prayer and fasting we act, believing God will support our actions. I call this, stepping out in faith.

Fellowship with other believers encourages us to continue in good works. Encouragement by others also keeps us trusting God when trials come.

Prayer is where the battle is before we act. Prayer allows us to hear God and to lay the highway to walk by faith. The mountains and hills are broken down. Mountains and hills are a type for the opposition in the spirit. These are referred to in: Isaiah 42:14-16; Psalm 72:3; Mark 11:23

Rev 2 and Rev 3 talk of our overcoming by obedience.
Rev 12:11 overcome by the blood, testimony and love.
1 John 5 overcome the world by our faith.
Zach 4:6 not by might, power but by the Holy Spirit.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Faith in Action


Faith works for what is foolish in the natural.
Faith has a vision for the future.
Faith prays for the future.
Faith dreams about the future.
Faith rests in what God has promised.
Faith is assured
Faith is motivated by what can't be seen.
Faith loves.
Faith serves God by loving others.
Faith grows when either good or bad happen!
Faith prepares for the unlikely or impossible future.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Jesus Draws

Jesus draws all men to Himself if He is crucified. Jesus is the light and draws people to Himself. John 12:32

v35 Walk while you have the light that darkness may not overtake you.
Jesus is the light.
We are to walk as Jesus walked, if we don't walk darkness overtakes us. To ignore what God has for us brings us to darkness. If you don't step out in faith you aren't obeying. You are then dead in the water and you won't hear God because He speaks to those who are moving. And if we don't hear God we are in darkness.

To break this, love someone else. This causes us to obey the great commandment. Then we are in the light and can hear God.

Luke 11:33-36
Matt 5:15-16
What is our light?
Our light is God's gifting to us. It is how we love others.

Let your love (which is empowered by God) be shown before men that they may see these good works and glorify God.

The lamp of the body is the eye. Make sure your love is from God and is not self serving.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Gideon's Sin

Judges 8:26,27

Gideon made an idol after his victories. Why? After all the Lord had done?

We must be extra careful after success, that we don't fall into sin.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Hearing



The chime of a clock bell. Train horn sounds off in the distance. Roalroad crossing bell sounds as the arms come down.

After a while the sound of a diesel engine comes then the train slowly rolls by. The single blast of the horn as it crosses the road. The hum of the rails as the cars roll over.

One car has a thump thump as it rolls by. Then after a while another car has a thump thump. The clanking and jingle of metal. Then the last car rolls by and the rumble of the train fades off into the distance.

The clinging of the Railroad crossing continues. A sound of an airplane can be heard above the clouds. The railroad crossing bell stops.

The Airplane is further away. Crickets can not be heard. Someone can be heard talking in the distance. Traffic from a bridge sounds in the background.

A voice from a warehouse loud speaker sounds for a short time. A male voice is now heard.

The clanging of a dump truck rear door bangs. Metal pounding along the railroad tracks. A car horn is faintly heard in the distance. Another train horn sounds.

A car approaches then whooshes past. Sloshing through a water puddle. A UPS truck toots his horn backing up.

A Generator sounds by the railroad tracts. Toot toot of the a train approaches. A tain horn is heard but not seen on another track. The rails ring as another train approaches. The poof of release of steam. Engine slows down then speeds up as it rumbles past. Now an engine is coming from the other direction. The squeaking as cars roll past in both directions.

In all this activity God is also speaking. But do we pay attention? Do we even think it's possible to hear?