the Tricky Part ~ Dry Bones


  • the Tricky Part (1999)
  • High Holiday Message (1979)
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the Tricky Part (1999)

the Tricky Part of Negotiations (1999) Dry Bones cartoon - .
Today's Golden Oldie is from September 6, 1999.

A cartoon from ten years ago that is as fresh as the latest pressure on us coming out of the Obama White House.


High Holiday Message (1979)

High Holiday Message (1979) Dry Bones cartoon - .
Today's Golden Oldie is from September 19, 1979. A Dry Bones cartoon that I did thirty years ago!

The Rabbinic Authorities in Israel represent "official" Judaism, i.e. the strain that in America is called "Orthodox", and that is called (in Hebrew) "Religious". The partizan politicizing of the Rabbinate results in the kind of dumb public pronouncements that prompted this 1979 cartoon.

-Dry Bones- Israel's Political Comic Strip Since 1973

Least Most: Who and What I Do ~ Michael James Stone

-Excerpt from "Utmost with the Least most"

Introduction and Commission


Introduction and Commission

Who and What I Do.

My life would be so much simpler if I had not read this 35 years
ago. Maybe I would have been a famous writer, pastor, lawyer,
scholar, or someone else or something else than what I am.

I am just me, and reading this you will see why:

    If God has called you to be really like Christ in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility and put on you such demands of obedience, that He will not allow you to follow other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

    Others can brag on themselves, and their work, on their success, on their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

    The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His glory, which can be produced only in the shade.

    Others will be allowed to succeed in making money, but it is likely God will keep you poor because he wants you to have something far better than gold and that is a helpless dependence on Him; that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day - out of an unseen treasury.

    God will let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a great work for Him and get credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when He comes.

    The Holy Spirit will put strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

    So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do what He pleases with His own, and He will not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle you in His dealing with you. He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things that you cannot do or say.

    Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that others are not dealt with.

    Now, when you are so possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this particular personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.


    -From Faith is the Victory
    by G. D. Watson (1845-1924)
After reading it,

I was never again the same.

Living According to God's Word ~ Bob Hoekstra


Living According to God's Word

You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word. (Psalm 119:65)

David was a man who basically lived by grace (that is, by depending on the Lord to work in his life). Consequently, he trusted in the word of God ("the word of His grace"— Acts 20:32). David lived according to God's word. Psalm 119 bears substantial testimony of what can happen when one lives in this manner. "You have dealt well with Yourservant, O LORD, according to Your word." The strategic phrase ("according to Your word") has two implications: living in line withGod's word and living by the provisions of God's word. Therefore, those who live according to God's word not only find their direction in the Scriptures, they find resource there as well.

Many respected Bible teachers are convinced that David was the human instrumental author of Psalm 119. Whether this is true or not is incidental to our present meditation. In this majestic Psalm, the Holy Spirit (the ultimate author) depicts the all-inclusive nature of living according to the word.

Every person on earth begins life with a sin problem (guilty, condemned, alienated from God). If a person wants to have his life cleaned up spiritually, he must have that accomplished according to God's Word. "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word" (Psalm 119:9). Anyone who will pay close attention to the message of the Scriptures will find therein God's provision of forgiveness and salvation. "Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD—Your salvation according to Your word" (Psalm 119:41). God's merciful salvation (from sin and unto godliness) is enjoyed by those who call upon Him wholeheartedly, as declared in God's word. "Ientreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to meaccording to Your word" (Psalm 119:58).

Every person who has found new life through the Lord's merciful salvation needs reviving at times. When the difficulties of life seem to choke all spiritual vitality out of us, it is time to call upon the Lord and turn to His word. "I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD,according to Your word" (Psalm 119:107). Sometimes, the battle is so intense that our inner man seems to be smashed face down in the dirt. Again, it is time to seek the Lord in His word. "My soul clings to thedust; Revive me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:25). Yes, in God's word, we find direction for our lives and replenishing of our lives.

Dear Lord of the Scriptures, I praise You for giving me new life according to Your word. Now, in the afflictions and battles that I face, I ask You to revive me according to Your word.

you are who I say you are when you’re not around ~ Jon Courson








As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
Colossians 1:7-8
I like Epaphras. He goes around speaking good things. He says, ‘I have good news about great things happening with those guys in Colosse.’

I want to be like Epaphras — talking about how great someone is behind his or her back, for not only does this please the Lord, but it has an impact on me as well.

How? To a very real degree, you are who I say you are when you’re not around. You see, if all of you leave here tonight and, on your way home, talk about what an idiot I am, I will become that person to you the next time we meet. Talk negatively about me, and, even if those things are not totally true, that’s what I will become in your sight.

On the other hand, if you speak well of a person behind his back, that is the way you will tend to view him. The next time you see him, you will approach him with an entirely different mindset than if you had come down on him.

The power of words is awesome. For that reason, we must be very careful. Gossip good stuff. That’s what Epaphras did

We all want to experience spiritual growth and success ~ Greg Laurie


The Secret to Spiritual Growth, Part 2

September 10th, 2009 Posted in OC, Pastor's corner, essentials, sermons | No Comments »

That is my topic tonight at our Bible study in Orange County, and also this Sunday morning at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside.

For more info on the O.C. study, click here.

We all want to experience spiritual growth and success. Sadly, we all know people who have been spiritual failures in life. Perhaps we regard ourselves that way.

Some have grown in leaps and bounds spiritually, while others have not grown at all. Some have done great things for God and His Kingdom, while others have done nothing.

You might say, “Well, Christianity just didn’t work for me!” Listen, Christianity is not a product that works for some and not for others. Plain and simple: Christianity is Christ. He can and will work in any life that is truly dedicated to Him.

G. K. Chesterton said, “Christianity has not be tried and found wanting. It’s been found difficult and not tried.”

Why do some succeed spiritually, while others fail? The short answer: Because theychoose to.

They want it, so they go for it. Others don’t really want it, so they don’t go for it.

You might protest, “That sounds like you think living the Christian life is human effort.” I am not saying that. Scripture clearly says that it is not by works of righteousness that we have done, but by His mercy He has saved us (see Titus 3:5).

Work out your own salvation

But clearly there are some things that only God can do, and some things that only you can do.

Paul reminds us that we are to work out our own salvation “with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). That does not say that you should work for your own salvation butwork out your salvation. Another translation says to “carry to the goal and fully complete with self distrust.”

The following verse explains it: ”For it is God who works in you both to will and do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

We can work it out

As the Beatles famously sang, “We can work it out.” We need to work out what God has worked in. God enables us to do this, but we must also apply ourselves.

Let me say it again, there are some things only God can do, and some things only I can do.

Only God can save a person. Only God can forgive and forget our sins. Only God can change the human heart.

But at the same time, only I can believe. Only I can repent. Only I can follow. God will not do those things for me, as He has given me a free will to choose.

We will explore spiritual growth more in our message tonight and Sunday.

Is your influence growing? (85-1) Barry Werner


Is your influence growing? (85-1)

Every leader will serve as an example to those in their sphere of influence. Review 1 Samuel 1-8 and focus on 4:1 and 3:19-20.

Samuel’s influence just kept growing. Samuel, under God’s leadership and with His authority, had the authority to anoint two kings and remove one from power. Samuel’s example to the people was that he exhorted, he affirmed, he corrected, he prophesied, he reminded and he taught. His life-long example had such tremendous impact that when he died all Israel gathered to mourn his loss (25:1).

Some “verbal images” of Samuel’s example are:

  • The Bible loves to describe God’s leaders as shepherds. A shepherding leader will know, love, protect and lead those on their team. Think a relational leader. A relational leader can be tough or tender because they have developed relationship. A team will listen to a shepherding leader because of relationship.
  • The Bible paints the picture of a steward as someone that acts on behalf of an owner, overseeing others and managing possessions. Samuel did not act out of a personal agenda but was a steward of God’s agenda. When we think of a stewarding leader we think responsibility. A stewarding leader will remain faithful to their calling, accountable to God, and responsible to people.
  • The Bible paints the picture of leaders as visionaries. Samuel brought the Word of God to bear on contemporary issues. Think revelation from God. Leaders must possess a vision and communicate direction to their team. A godly leader should seek divine revelation concerning conviction about lessons from the past, present situations, and future direction. People respond to vision.
  • The Bible paints the picture of effective leaders as servants. The key word for a servant leader is rights. Samuel constantly gave up his rights instead of demanding a right to reach the “top.” Servant leaders are not motivated by power but by serving their team. Their team responds because of a servant’s heart.

If your team were to describe you as a leader would they use one of these four words? If not, identify what word you think your team might use. Would it be positive or negative for a godly leader?

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People look at Adam's life, they usually focus on the negative ~ Bob Coy


ADAM'S EXPRESSION OF FAITH

Then the man-Adam-named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. -Genesis 3:20 (NLT)

When people look at Adam's life, they usually focus on the negative. After all, sin and death did come to the human race and the rest of creation through him (Romans 5:12). But for our purposes today, we're not going to look at what Adam did wrong. We're going to look at what He did right.

What's that? It might not be so obvious at first, but Adam sets a powerful example of trusting God in the verse above. How does naming his wife "Eve" equate to trusting God?

We need to remember what's just happened at this point. Adam and Eve had just sinned, and now it was time for God to hold them accountable for their actions. In so many words, here's how God says things are going to go down, "Woman, you're going to experience pain and labor as you bring new life into the world, but new life will come. Man, you're going to have toil and sweat in order to live, but you will live." Although they've sinned and have been judged, God promises that this won't be the end of the line. Amidst death, there's the promise of life.

How does Adam respond? He names the woman Eve, which literally means "mother of all who live." By doing that, Adam is saying, "I believe you God. I believe there will be life even though I've done something that deserves nothing but death."

That's the kind of trust that needs to be in each of us. We've all done our share of things deserving of death, but God has promised us life. Do we believe this?

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NLT)


Discuss, Dig, Decide

Discuss Adam’s actions with your group. What are you believing God for right now? How is God giving you grace in the midst of your mess?

Dig into Adam’s life. Read Genesis 1:26–28, 2:7–25, 3:20–24. What were Adam’s responsibilities? Why did Adam believe God would deliver him in spite of his failure? Do you believe the Lord will deliver you in spite of your failures? Why?

Decide to commit to memory Philippians 3:13–14 and 2 Timothy 1:12. Share with your group the one thing God is calling you to do and how you are trusting Him.

Responding to Conflict ~ Charles Stanley


Responding to Conflict

Proverbs 15:18

When conflict occurs, people often look for someone to criticize. I remember being severely chastised while in a meeting at another organization. Because of God's enabling, I was able to remain calm and react in a godly manner.

Turning to the Lord in prayer is always the best way to respond in a crisis. As we do, we can ask for Him to provide:

• Spiritual discernment. God understands perfectly the source of the problem, and He can enable us to comprehend it too. Perhaps there has been a communication breakdown, a feeling of jealousy on the other person's part, or a mistake on ours. With the Spirit's assistance, we will gain insight into the situation.

• A quiet spirit. Our human nature will want to react quickly so that we can defend ourselves. Before we act, we must deliberately focus our attention on God and experience the inner peace that He promises (John 14:27).

• Wisdom. The Lord told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would give them wise words to say when they faced hostile authorities (Luke 12:11-12). He will do the same for you. If tempted to speak hastily, ask the Spirit to put a seal on your lips until God gives you the words to say and tells you it's time to respond (Ps. 141:3).

We do not have to react to criticism with anger and self-protectiveness, as the world does. God has called us to represent Him in every situation the same way Christ did?through dependence on the heavenly Father. Next time someone speaks critically to you, how will you respond?

Anytime the desire or need arises—pray! ~ Joyce Meyer


Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people). —Ephesians 6:18

In Ephesians 6:10-17, the apostle Paul talks about the armor of God and how we are to use it and the weapon of the Word to engage in spiritual warfare.

After each piece has been listed, in verse eighteen Paul sums up his message by saying, "Pray at all times."

How often are we to pray? At all times.

What does that mean? Does it mean that when we are out doing the grocery shopping and God puts it on our heart to pray we are to drop to our knees right there in the middle of the supermarket aisle?

I often kneel by my bed and pray.

There are other times when I feel led by God to lie down, face to the floor, before Him and pray. We have to be careful not to confuse physical posture with prayer.

We can also pray silently in the supermarket as we are walking down the aisles. In the different seasons of life we are able to pray in different ways. A young mother with three or four little children, for example, is going to have to structure her prayer life differently from that of a grandmother whose family is all grown up and out of the house.

If we become too "religious" about prayer, thinking we must do it one way or the other because that is how someone else does it, we will bring condemnation on ourselves.

The important thing about prayer is not the posture or the time or place but learning to pray in faith—at all times, unceasingly. Anytime the desire or need arises—pray!

Be a part of God's plan to reach the world. ~ David McGee


Acts 9:15-16

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
NKJV

Life Lesson

We are supposed to be a part of God's plan to reach the world.

---------------------

In Chapter 9, we see Jesus interrupting the life of Saul of Tarsus. Saul was living out his life doing his 'own thing' with a zeal. Unfortunately, Saul's 'thing' was harassing and persecuting Christians. Have you ever found your life interrupted by God? You were going about your life doing your own thing and all of sudden God interrupts. God saves you and gives you a passion for lost souls. If you have met Jesus, you should have a passion for lost souls. Sometimes I hear people tell of their life stories and wonder if they are grateful for this divine interruption.

You have heard the stories. 'My life was great until I met Jesus, now I am barely getting by.'

What a disservice that does to the treasure that we have found. We have now been graciously given a heavenly perspective in an otherwise earthly world. We have been given the high, holy and heavenly calling of offering hope to a doomed world. We have a calling to offer love to a world that long ago lost it, and light to a darkness that swallows the human soul. The only thing worse than having this kind of life changing interruption...is not having one. I am thankful for mine. How about you? Let's change the world, one life at a time, starting with yours.

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for coming into my life. I now give my life to you. If you can use my life to encourage one person, serve one person, or to see one person brought to you, please use my life. There is no greater joy than to give our lives away. You not only told us that, but you showed us that. Lord, help me to look for ways to give my life away. Until the whole world hears, in Jesus' name Amen.

It's never a good thing to argue with the Lord. ~ Mike MacIntosh


Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."
Mark 8:11-12

It's never a good thing to argue with the Lord. The Pharisees thought that they had their theology, their ethics, and their ways of life in perfect order. But that's where they got themselves into trouble; their hearts were hard. It's one thing to share your heart, your trouble, and your anxiety with the Lord; it's a whole other ballgame to pick a fight with Him. The moment we feel that we "have it all together" is the moment that Isaiah 55:8-9 should come rushing into our hearts.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

You see, the Pharisees wanted to dispute, argue, and cause disagreements. And sad to say, at times, we can also get caught doing this as well. But God wants something better of us. He doesn't want us to complain, criticize, and dispute over stuff. We are to let the love of Jesus Christ radiate through our lives.

So look at Jesus' response to their disputes. The first thing Mark tells us is that Jesus sighed. He wasn't sharp or bitter in His response; He sighed in frustration over their lack of faith. I believe that their response really hurt Him. And when we do or say things that hinder the work of the Lord, He takes a big deep breath and He sighs. You don't want that happening. So when you start to feel like you're becoming angry or upset or argumentative about something, remember these verses. Take a deep breath, yourself, and allow the Holy Spirit to calm you down. The Lord wants to do something amazing in your soul, so be in a place where you are seeking and focusing on Him.

You have been hiding from my fire ~ Mark Balmer


Let the Fire Fall

Posted:

Based on “Under HIS Influence - The Overflowing Lifestyle”

by Pastor Mark Balmer;


9/5-6/09, Message #MB388;

Daily Devotional #3 -


“Let the Fire Fall”


Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Several years ago I had a very special moment with God while I spent a week at a Christian youth camp. For some reason I couldn’t sleep. Needless to say, I was exhausted.


If you have ever been involved with a youth camp, you know that this is not the place you want to be if you are not on the top of your game! Thursday night something happened. While sleeping I had a dream, or possibly a vision, of God’s work in the camp.


The camp was located in the woods, and the cabins were fairly small cement houses. In my dream I woke up to see the woods on fire. The fire was moving quickly across the land, so quickly in fact, that I had only seconds to react. I did what most of us would do in that situation: I hid. I thought, “Cement houses don’t burn.”


I ducked down below the window, and I felt the fire pass by. I stood up again to look out and saw that everything was consumed around me, but I was still safe. That’s a good dream right? Wrong, it left me feeling regret for some reason. I sat there for several minutes pondering the dream when the Spirit of God spoke to my heart.


He said, “You have been hiding from my fire long enough!” I wept. He was right. My faith had become religion. My walk had become stagnant. I wanted to be consumed by Him again so that I could see Him move in my life.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD--he is God! The LORD--he is God!" (1 Kings 18:36-39) God’s holy presence is revealed many times in Scripture in the form of fire. Moses saw it in the bush (Exodus 3:1-2), and Solomon saw it in the temple (2 Chronicles 7:1), just to name a couple of examples. On the day of Pentecost the coming of the Spirit on the believers was symbolized by what looked like “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:3). This fire of God is a consuming power. It changes us when we allow God to have His way with us. I know this, but I hide anyway. What happens when we do this?

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): If we allow ourselves to be full of ourselves, then we will hinder God’s work in our lives. Paul has some good advice for us to avoid slowing the fire of God.


Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire. (1 Thessalonians 5:15-19)


Those are the secrets to unleashing the work of God in our lives. First, be kind to people. Second, be joyful. Last but not least, give thanks for every circumstance you find yourself in. The result will be not putting out the Spirit’s fire in our lives.


If you find yourself longing for the work of God in your life, then pray that God’s fire will fall and shatter the things you hold onto. Just imagine what would happen if you glowed like Jesus did while He was ministering.


No wonder Jesus could say to us, “You are the light of the world!(Matthew 5:14) You will burn brightly for the King!

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Acts 9:1-22

TCH

Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren




  1. Kept #theNINES on all day.I'm SO proud of u dear friends! All of u hit home runs! "YOU are my joy." Ph4:1 I can die happy!
  2. "You have rejected me, but my anger is gone; I will heal you and love you without limit." Hosea 14:4 (CEV)
  3. For me,the miracle of Communion isnt a transformation of bread&juice but a transformation in me when I obey in faith&love
  4. RT @caseycockerham Rick, @JohnMaxwell copied ur tweet.Casey,as I noted, MaxGarrott said it 1st in his oft-quoted '63 book!
  5. Max Garrott' '62 book:Jesus' way:1 I do it & u watch 2 I do it & u help 3 U do it & I help 4 U do it & I'm out of here!
  6. S.H.A.R.E weekly w a new believer:STUDY the Word together;HELP w a need;ASSIGN homework;REVIEW verses;ENCOURAGE w prayer
  7. In the presence of a psychiatrist, I can only be a sick man; In the presence of a Christian brother, I can dare to be a sinner." -Bonhoeffer
  8. U cant defeat a sin Uwont admit.My hurdle to holiness is a desire to look good.What do u pretend isnt your problem? Ps19:12
  9. http://twitpic.com/gyr7y - Next Gen is hungry 4 PURPOSE!Seeing huge crowds @ universities like Harvard &Cambridge.Oxford gave me this:
  10. Warren's Law: A celebrity's insecurity is measured by the length of their limo. Service,not status,creates self-worth.
  11. Never let ego slights,petty jealousy,or prideful bickering,keep u from the great work God gives u.Its not about u.Ph3:13-15
  12. What u LOVE MOST is seen in your schedule& bank statement. How u use your time & money shows what matters most to u.Mt.6:24
  13. Dr. Greg Koukl NOW LIVE, “Defending Your Faith” Saddleback’s Ahmanson Lectures on Apologetics-6 http://bit.ly/38sfdi
  14. Marriage doesn't create problems;it reveals them Nothing exposes our inate self-centeredness faster. Pr.18:10, James4:1
  15. Dr. Dinesh D'Souza NOW LIVE, “How Do I Know God Exists?” Saddleback’s Ahmanson Lectures on Apologetics-5http://bit.ly/38sfdi
  16. Dr. William Lane Craig, NOW LIVE, “How Did the Universe Begin?” Saddleback’s Ahmanson Lectures on Apologetics-4http://bit.ly/38sfdi
  17. Dr. Norman Geisler, NOW LIVE, “If God exists, Why is there evil?” Saddleback’s Ahmanson Lectures on Apologetics-3http://bit.ly/38sfdi
  18. Dr. J.P Moreland NOW LIVE, “Has Science Made Belief in God Obsolete?” Saddleback’s Ahmanson Lectures on Apologetics-2http://bit.ly/38sfdi
  19. Dr Darrell Bock, teaching right now on "Jesus from the Earth Up" Saddleback's Ahmanson Lectures on Apologeticshttp://bit.ly/38sfdi
  20. @UYWILarry Rick,thx for being a Kingdom revolutionary! LARRY,the Church was global centuries before globalization! Jn17:18

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