Least Most: "It was the least I could do...," ~ Michael James Stone

-excerpt from "Utmost with the Least Most"


It was the least I could do...,


You never know what people will say about you. 


He was a good man, She had a big nose. They sang like angels, he couldn't carry a tune with a wheelbarrow. People often will talk about you like they know you. Do they?


People often remember the oddest things. My wife can tell you about flamingo's on the side of the road driving to Utah. Pink flamingos...plastic pink flamimgos...on the side of the road....., sometimes someone changes them, to leprechauns......green leprechauns.......plastic green leprechauns.....on the side of the road.


I have never seen them but she swears they are there.


People say and remember things we often don't pay much attention to.


I used to when I was a much younger follower of Jesus, find out if a person I was talking to, witnessing to, or just getting to know, had a bible. In those days, much like today, they did not. So I would wait and pray for a "good time" and go get them a Bible and put their name on it and make sure I included some special scripture or prayer for them and sign and date it. 


Then give it it to them


They often thought is was the greatest gift they ever got in their life. So I started buying them new ones instead of giving then old and used one (just kidding, I keep those for myslef). When they reacted with that kind of gratitude, all I really could say was that it was the least I could do. 


After all I secretly hoped as I held their bible and prayed that Jesus would reveal himself to them as He did me. What they considered the greatest, I thought was the least I could do.


I met my wife in an odd way. 


I sent her flowers with a bear in it. A little fuzzy cuddly warm goofy looking bear. At the time it was totally unexpected and not in nature with most men she had met. She fell in love with me and eventually we got married.


The bear sleeps with my wife every night.......... we still have it after all these years. I won't say a word about who really has her heart. At the time I didn't think it was big deal. I won't fight with bear now, he wins. 


Who would have known?


Recently a friend of my wifes at work had been hinting that she was a Christian. Basically my wife is pretty shy and quiet about her faith and like most people, if you start the conversation about God, she might get in on it, but don't assume she is a preacher...lol.


My wife mentioned she wanted to get her something. (grin) You do see it coming....God is like that.... (NO NOT THE BEAR)


I suggested she buy her a bible and put her name on it. I said it doesn't matter too much which one. You just get one you like and put her name on it and maybe I did tell her ONE or two bibles not to get (grin).


She did and she said her friend went nuts and was like a gushing well when you drill oil.  THAR SHE BLOWS. She couldn't stop talking about and holding and reading her "new bible".


What she might not have bought for herself, my wife, following in someones else's footsteps, bought something for her she will never forget. 


My wife wrote in it and I know if she continues in this vein she will be remembered for that bible by her friend. IF she does the same with others, it will likely be true for her also as it was with me. (Guess what you get for your birthday.)


I might know by wife by pink flamingo's and leprechauns....green.....on the side of the road.....but,


What will you be remembered for?


What is the "least" you can do?

When we sin we remember ~ Bob Coy

ABRAHAM HAS HIS FLAWS

Now the LORD had said to Abram? "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." -Genesis 12:1-2 (NKJV)

The Bible takes a radical turn in Genesis Chapter 12. Instead of viewing humanity with a wide-angle lens, it narrows its focus to a single man and his ancestry. Abram (or Abraham) is the man, and his lineage eventually leads to the nation of Israel.



Abraham is distinguished as few others in the Bible. In Romans 4:1-4, Paul teaches that he is the prototype of every person who places his or her faith in God. Romans 4:11-12 also tells us that Abraham is the forefather of every true believer in God. And as if that weren't enough, we read in Galatians 3:29 that all Christians are of Abraham's spiritual seed. The point is simply this: Abraham is a unique character who carries a lot of clout in God's Kingdom.



And yet, not even he was able to shake free from sin's stranglehold. As a matter of fact, the Bible is very deliberate in sharing Abraham's sins with us-from fleeing the land God told him to abide in to concealing his wife's identity in order to save his own skin. Scripture doesn't pull any punches; it even records the humiliating exchange between Abraham and Pharaoh (a godless man) who teaches this father of the faith a lesson about telling the truth (Genesis 12:18-19).



Why does the Bible reveal this about Abraham? In part, it's to remind us that even those with the most impressive spiritual resumes are subject to sin. This isn't an encouragement for us to sin, but an encouragement through sin. When we sin we remember that even a foundational figure like Abraham was flawed, yet God still did great things through him, and He can do the same through us.

Discuss, Dig, Decide

Discuss with your group why consequences are so serious when a person of power and position falls into sin. Recall a time when you’ve seen a flawed foundation end up causing drastic results. What lesson did you learn from this tragedy?

Dig into Genesis Chapters 12 and 13. What things did God promise to Abraham? How did his personal sin affect the lives of others? How did God use Pharaoh in this instance? Who is God using in your life to keep you from sin?

Decide as a group to cover in prayer those in positions of spiritual authority over you. Pastors, teachers, elders, whoever God has placed over you—intercede for them in prayer! Ask God to keep them from the deception of sin and to strengthen them in the face of temptation.

A tree planted by streams of water ~ Mark Balmer

Marinating in God’s Word

Posted:

Based on “The Precious Promise” 

by Pastor Norm Holm; 9/9/09,

Message #NH102; 

Daily Devotional #1 -

 “Marinating in God’s Word”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction):  “Some people like to read so many [Bible] chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up in your very soul, till it saturates your heart!” Charles Hadden Spurgeon   

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.  (Psalm 1:1-3)

 

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Every follower of Jesus knows the importance of the Bible. It only takes one day in a Bible-centered church to understand its significance. Sometimes, however, there’s a disconnect between what we know in our head and what we live out in our daily life. We know, in theory, that God’s Word speaks to life’s situations and changes people, but does our mind automatically jump to think that change only applies to someone else’s life? After all, we might rationalize, “I’m too busy to study the Bible,” or too distracted, or too uneducated. Fill in your own blank for what’s keeping you away from God’s Word. Besides, isn’t that why we have pastors? To teach us what we need to know from the Bible?

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response):  Ponder for a minute the food we eat that has been marinated. It takes on the flavor of that in which it soaks. It also ends up being more tender and more flavorful because we took the time to let it marinate. But in order to have such a delicious meal, we have to plan ahead. Marinating means no instant feast. Similarly, how would our lives be different if we marinated in God’s Word? Would we take on the flavor of God? Might we have the revelation that the Holy Spirit is no respecter of people? What He reveals to one person in the Word, He is willing to reveal to another. 

We just need to make ourselves available to soak. Where do we begin? Perhaps start with the Scriptures from the weekly teaching. Revisit them during the week. Read. Memorize. Reflect. Consider how they apply to our lives. Let our thoughts continually return to these precious words given by our Father. A life saturated with God’s Word is a life transformed by God. Consequently, the world takes note and may even become a little hungry.

Cultivating (Additional Reading):  I Peter 1:3; Psalm 77:12; Psalm 119:15

His tender touch ~ Mike MacIntosh

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
Mark 8:22-25

Jesus does the seemingly unthinkable things. Would man ever think to spit on someone's eyes to heal him or her? Just as we saw this in Mark 7:32, Jesus uses the ordinary things to make supernatural things happen!
Notice that after Jesus spits on the blind man's eyes and puts His hands on him, Jesus asks a telling question: "Do you see anything?" And God is asking you right now, wherever you are and whatever you are experiencing, if you are seeing clearly. He doesn't want you to have blurred vision. He is calling out to you, asking what you see.

So, what do you see? Are you seeing all of the junk and materialism that causes you to falter and stumble in your faith? Are you seeing all of the trash and pornography that is on nearly every magazine, billboard, DVD, and television show? What do you see and what should you be seeing? Colossians 3:1 says to seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

This man's vision was blurred and all he could see was a shadow of images that were unclear. So maybe that's where you are right now. Maybe your life has lost its purpose because of family or financial stresses. Maybe you got tired of "church" because someone offended you and you walked away for a while. But Jesus doesn't give up on you! You see, Jesus didn't stop at asking this man how his sight was. Look at verse 25 above. It says that Jesus once again put His hands on this man and his sight was fully restored. Maybe today you need a second touch from the Master. Maybe you've failed in the past and your vision is blurred. Thankfully Jesus never gives up on you. Not only is He right there asking if you can see, He also is ready to heal your wounds and make you whole.

Maybe you had a clear vision but something got in the way. The Lord is asking you right now if you would like His tender touch...maybe for the second (or third or fourth) time. If so, just pray right where you are and simply ask Him to heal you and to heal your needs that are weighing you down. He loves you so much and wants to bless you abundantly.

Sometimes ~ Chuck Girard and Love Song

"But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:" - Ezra 3:12


People forget easily when they are day to day existing. They don't have time to refect on, remember, or have an accurate record of what it was like:


The Days of Keith Green, Love Song, Jesus Freaks, Hippies getting saved, The World getting saved, New Wine, Holy Spirit, miracles and just getting so lost in the emotions of joy and love that even your socks were knocked off.


Was it the "Latter Days Rain" as many Bible End times scholars believe? Was it the last great revival around the World before Jesus comes again? I don't know, I was there, but I know this.


Jesus is Coming 


And sometimes it is good to look back by looking forward and seeing all God is doing today, but even with all He is Doing  TODAY:


 ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice;


Enjoy this:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlhU8CVjrFI


youtube errors so if this is not repaired by the time you read this: Copy and Paste the Link

Dependence upon the Lord ~ Bob Hoekstra

Isaiah Proclaiming God's Power for the Weak

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no mightHe increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and beweary, and the young men shall utterly fall, But those whowait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shallmount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)

Isaiah is another example of an Old Testament saint who lived by grace (that is, by depending upon God to work in the lives of His people). This dependence upon the Lord can be seen in Isaiah's proclaiming God's power for the weak. "He gives power to the weak…those whowait on the LORD shall renew their strength."


God desires to impart His power to the feeble. "He gives power to theweak." Those who are of the world cannot partake of this power, because they do not know the giver of this heavenly power. Sadly, many of God's own children do not receive this divine enabling, because they are unwilling to admit their weakness. Actually, the privileged place for receiving the Lord's empowering is to confess that we have no might at all on our own. "To those who have no might Heincreases strength."


In the days of youthfulness, mankind is the most convinced of possessing personal might. When one is young, weariness seems to be a distant threat. Yet, the truth is that even youthful energy eventually proves to be inadequate for the demands of life. "Even the youths shallfaint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall."Nevertheless, there is enablement available that the most promising days of youth could never supply. It is an empowering that only Godcan provide.

This God-given power is experienced only by those who will wait upon the Lord. Left to themselves, old and young alike will find human might so frail and inadequate, "but those who wait on the LORD shallrenew their strength." Those who place their hope in God are strengthened by the Lord Himself. They are enabled by God to live above their circumstances, looking down on life from heaven's perspective.


"They shall mount up with wings like eagles." When it is time to press energetically ahead, they can do so without becoming exhausted. "They shall run and not be weary." When it is more appropriate to plod along methodically and persistently, they do not collapse. "They shall walk and not faint." All of this results from thepower of God working within those who wait upon Him.

Dear Giver of all true power, I have hoped in myself in the midst of so many demanding circumstances of life. My own strength has always proved to be so inadequate. Teach me to wait upon You, to place my hope in You. I desperately need and earnestly desire Your irreplaceable empowering, for Your glory, Amen.

Leadership: Do your actions show inner strength? (85-5) ~ Barry Werner

Do your actions show inner strength? (85-5)

September 4th, 2009 in 1 Samuel, Courage/Risk-Taking, Dependence on God, Leadership Principles, Old Testament | leave a response

If you have been serving as a leader for very long you already know that leadership requires courage. We are not talking about the Hollywood one-time event that puts your name in the headlines but the day to day inner courage that holds your team together when every indication around them could cause fear. Read 1 Samuel 9:1-13:14.

According to 9:2 and 10:23 Saul had the advantage of an impressive physical appearance. Unfortunately, the impressive exterior wasn’t matched by an equal inner strength. Inner strength can’t be measured as easily with first impressions. The inner strength of a leader can only be measured by watching their actions over time. Observe the leadership of Saul:

• When Samuel informs Saul that God has chosen him to lead Israel as their first king, Saul excuses himself as unable (9:21).
• Saul knows he has been chosen by God to be the king but when the time arrives for Samuel to anoint Saul publicly as king, Saul is found hiding among the baggage (10:20-22).
• When Saul’s soldiers begin to scatter, he panics and disobeys his divine orders (13:7-10).
• When confronted over his sin, Saul makes excuses for himself (13:11-12).

A few truths concerning courage in leadership:

• Courage and cowardice are both contagious.
• Without courage, it doesn’t matter how good your intentions.
• Only courage allows a leader to do what they are afraid of doing.
• Without courage that comes through the power of the Holy Spirit, leaders will become slaves to their own insecurity and possessiveness.
• If a leader lacks courage their team will lack confidence and commitment.
• A leader without courage will never let go of the familiar.
• Lack of courage will eventually sabotage a leader.

What situations are you facing right now that will demand you to overcome your fears, trust in God, and demonstrate an inner courage that qualifies you as a leader? Effective godly leaders understand that in their own strength there is a potential to lose the battle to be a courageous leader but if they find their deeply held truths in the Word of God and their power through listening to the Holy Spirit, their courage will come from a source that never fails.

Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

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Relationship you want with the Lord ~ Charles Stanley

Delight Yourself in the Lord


Isaiah 61:10-11 


The word delight means to gain great pleasure, satisfaction, and happiness. Isn't that exactly the kind of relationship you want with the Lord?one in which both you and He enjoy time spent in each other's presence? If that sounds good to you, then I have great news. God also wants that kind of delightful friendship, which develops through commitment, trust, and patience.


First, a believer must commit his or her ways to God. 


This means that we welcome Him to examine our desires and plans. The Lord is invited to alter whatever does not fit His purpose or advance His plan for our life.


Second, a believer must trust God. 


Who is more worthy of our faith than the Father, who gave Jesus Christ to save wicked sinners? The One who would not spare His only Son will certainly provide all that His children need (Rom. 8:32).


Third, a believer must rest in God. 


When we fret about an issue or something that we consider necessary, we're neither committing ourselves to the Lord nor trusting in Him. Because of our limited human viewpoint, waiting patiently is rarely easy. However, God knows when circumstances and timing are perfectly aligned for His will to be done.


A growing relationship with the Lord is not drudgery, though it can be hard work. But the effort is a labor of love, because humans are designed to derive joy from being in God's presence. The greatest pleasure we can experience in life is walking hand in hand with a Father who adores us.  

Are you a praying person? ~ Greg Laurie

Are you a praying person?

September 14th, 2009 Posted in Pastor's corner, essentials, sermons | 1 Comment »



One of the clear marks of a true Christian is that they pray . . . a lot!


After his unexpected and radical conversion, the notorious Saul of Tarsus began to pray.In fact, when the Lord sent Ananias to go to him with words of encouragment, He said, “Behold, he is praying” (Acts 9:11).


Are you known as a person of prayer? 


The Bible tells us that we are to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).


We should pray always
This verse tell us we should be praying with “all prayer.”
We use the word “pray” a lot. It is a pretty general term. But know this–you can pray publically and privately, verbally and silently. You can be kneeling, standing, sitting, laying down, or even driving. You can pray with your eyes open or closed!


You can pray anywhere!


The main thing is to pray! You can pray in any position, at any time, anywhere.
Sometimes we think that the Lord will hear our prayers better if they are prayed in a church building. But that is not necessarily true.

• Daniel prayed in a lion’s den.
• David prayed in a field.
• Peter prayed in (and on) the water.
• Jonah’s prayer was heard from the belly of a whale!

Surely God will hear your prayer wherever you are. The main thing is that you are “praying always.”


Don’t stop praying


The word “all” in this verse speaks of the frequency of prayer–morning, afternoon, and evening. We are to “pray without ceasing, for this is the will of God . . . “
Daniel had enemies who set a trap for him because they knew he prayed. So what did he do after this decree was signed that no one could pray to God?

“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God” (Daniel 6:10).

Do your enemies know you pray? Let’s all look for opportunities to pray this week.

Contentment is a decision to be happy ~ Joyce Meyer

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. 
—Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)
 
Contentment is a decision to be happy with what you already have. But I am convinced most people are not truly content. Unbelievers certainly aren't content, whether they realize it or not, but it is very sad how many believers have not learned to be truly content in their circumstances. I wonder how many people can truthfully say, "I'm happy with my life. I love my spouse and my family. I like my job. I'm satisfied with my house and my car. There are things I want God to do for me, but I am content to wait until He does them in His timing. I do not covet anything that belongs to my neighbor. I am not jealous of anyone else or envious of what others have. If God gave it to them, then I want them to enjoy it."

I believe God actually tests us in this way. Until we can pass His "I-am-happy-for-you-because-you-are blessed" test, we are never going to have any more than what we have right now. Yes, God wants us to prosper in every way. He wants people to see His goodness and how well He takes care of us. But we must desire God more than we desire His blessings. So He tests us to make sure this is the case before He releases greater material blessings into our lives. 

Some people compartmentalize their Christianity ~ Jon Courson

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.
	Colossians 1:19
All fullness is in Jesus. Therefore, the closer I am to Jesus, the fuller I will be as a man. Conversely, the further I pull away from Jesus, the emptier I’ll feel inside. All of creation centers around Jesus, is held together by Jesus, points to Jesus, and finds its fulfillment in Jesus. It’s all about Jesus. Some people compartmentalize their Christianity like a Swanson’s TV Dinner. They’ve got their recreation section, their relationship section, their financial section, their hobby section, and their Christian section. So on Sunday they concentrate on church; Monday through Friday on money; evenings on relationships, and Saturday on sports and hobbies. But ultimately, they find it frustrating and ineffective because God intended our lives not to be TV dinners, but chicken pot pies — all stirred together so that when we’re skiing, we’re praising God for the beauty around us; when we’re at work, we’re praying, ‘Lord, help me use this as a point of ministry’; when we’re with family, we’re seeking not a break from service, but an opportunity for service. It’s all mixed together. If you continue to ‘TV-Dinner’ it, you’re going to be depressed and discouraged. But it won’t be because God is punishing you. It will simply be the result of your failure to understand that Jesus holds all things together, that in Him all fullness dwells.

Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren

1. 
   http://twitpic.com/ht3kt - Miss my brother duringNFL.Jim had 4 Superbowl rings from yrs on49er staff.I was Chaplainof LA Ramsabout 6 hours ago from TwitPic
2. The greatest gift u can give someone is ur time, because you'll never get it back. Ur time is ur life.U spell love T.I.M.E.about 14 hours ago from web
3. Never listen2 the people who yell loudest.They define themselves,not u. Just love them back."Bless those who curse u"Lk6:28about 15 hours ago from web
4. The path 2 intimacy is thru the tunnel of conflict.Handled correctly,u grow closer.What r u pretending isnt a problem in ur marriage?about 15 hours ago from web
5. RT @PublishersWkly: Warren's New Book Debuts November 17 -1 million initial print run http://bit.ly/2EjksKabout 15 hours ago from web
6. While you're mentoring the Core,remember you must LOVE EVERYONE else in your Congregation & Community. It's not optional.about 22 hours ago from web
7. Jesus LOVED everyone.He FED 5,000.He TRAINED 70.He DISCIPLED 12.He MENTORED 3.THis is PDstrategy in a nutshell.Jesus model!about 22 hours ago from web
8. "A despairing man should have the devotion ofhis friends,eventho he forsakes the fear ofthe Almighty"Job6:14 Who needs u?about 23 hours ago from web
9. Vision is NOT predicting the future.No one can.Vision is the abiliy to see opportunities around you NOW & jump on them!about 23 hours ago from web
10. The only place in the universe u find atheists is on earth.God lets u deny him ur entire life,but then he'll deny u.Heb.9:27about 24 hours ago from web
11. One of my guys @perrynoble led 276 people to Jesus & baptized 906 yesterday!!! I urge you to learn from him.7:52 AM Sep 14th from web
12. Today will u complain or contribute?Compete or cooperate?Criticize or compliment?Crush or create?Curse or cheer? James3:107:45 AM Sep 14th from web
13. The deeper u know Jesus,the more gracious u r to others,the more humble u r about you,the more unconcerned u r about things9:23 PM Sep 13th from web
14. A preacher's greatest tool is MEMORIZED Scripture. If it's stored in your mind,the Spirit can remind you when you need it.10:20 PM Sep 12th from web
15. Do u realize that the common denominator in all your bad relationships is u? I can help this wkend: http://bit.ly/38sfdi3:21 PM Sep 12th from web
16. Chuck Smith & I have pastored side by side in OC for 30 yrs.God blessed both.Both married a Kay! http://twitpic.com/hgl8410:34 AM Sep 12th from web
17. In a broken world,some things can't be fixed,But u can reconcile a relationship without resolving all differences.Rom12:189:52 AM Sep 12th from web
18. Another proof of our fallen nature is our uncanny ability to clearly see the faults of everyone except ourselves. Rom2:1-39:51 PM Sep 11th from web
19. It's easy 2know what God is REALLY like-just take a long look at Jesus."He's the visible image of the invisible God'Col1:159:36 PM Sep 11th from web
20. A proof of fallen nature is our abillty 2lie 2ourselves &believe it!To"rationalize"is 2 tell yourself Rational Lies.Jer17:99:24 PM Sep 11th from web