This little passage of Scripture speaks volumes about who Jesus is. ~ Mike MacIntosh

In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."
Mark 8:1-3

This little passage of Scripture speaks volumes about who Jesus is. First, we see that He is chock-full of compassion. He is so sensitive and loving to recognize the needs of the people. Jesus absolutely, unequivocally loves and cares for every need that you have! And the love that Jesus shows His people is the same love that we should also show towards others. Look at 1 John 4:10-11:

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

You see, the love that Jesus has shown us should spill over into every relationship that we have. What greater call is there in life than to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors!

Second, we see that Jesus knows His people. When He looked at the multitude, He knew how much they had traveled, that they were hungry, and that they were weary. He knew exactly what they were feeling and what they needed. And right now, this very minute,Jesus Christ in heaven, sitting at the right hand of God, knows you and me. He knows everything about us. There is nothing hidden in your mind or your heart that isn't known to Him. Those little secrets of your life that are hidden from anybody's knowledge; those areas that you have kept at arm's-length from people--these are all places to which Jesus has complete access. He knows how you feel and what you're experiencing. He knows you!

Do you see how these two go together? When we have compassion for people, our eyes are open and sensitive to their needs. Likewise, if we're not full of love and compassion, we get wrapped up in our own lives and problems, and we don't even see the hurts and pains of others around us. So, what better thing today than to know thatJesus Christ knows you and has compassion for you! He'll never use His knowledge about you against you. He hears your voice and He feels your pain. He knows you and knows exactly what you need.

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5).

The older I get, the more I’m learning that prayer is not a monologue. It’s a dialogue. ~ Jon Courson

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
	Philippians 4:7
The older I get, the more I’m learning that prayer is not a monologue. It’s a dialogue. I’m discovering more and more that the real need in my life is not for God to hear from me, but for me to hear from Him. And I find that as I walk, drive, or get on my knees, if I will pray a phrase or two and then just rest and be quiet, the Lord will bring specific Scriptures to my mind or will write His will upon my heart concerning how I am to pray. But if I pray sentence after paragraph after page and then say, ‘OK, that wraps it up for prayer time today’ — I really miss it. Oh, I know that even that kind of prayer has power. Any prayer is better than no prayer. But I suggest that if you learn to pause and listen in prayer, the Lord will show you how to believe on behalf of another and how to pray specifically concerning any given situation.

it seems like people are going out of their way to get God out of our culture ~ Greg Laurie

Saturday // September 5 // 2009

Not too long ago, I read that violence on television is at an all-time high. Then, of course, there is all the sexual perversion that is depicted.

In addition to all that, it seems like people are going out of their way to get God out of our culture. Not only do they want to elevate perversion, but they want to demote God. They want Him out of the picture—out of everything for that matter.

This can be very discouraging to us as Christians. We can be tempted to think,Well, really there is no hope. There is nothing the church can do and there is certainly nothing that I can do.

But I want you to know that is simply not true. In 1 Kings 17, we find the story of one man who lived at a time in Israel's history that closely parallels our world today.

Elijah lived during one of the darkest and most evil times in the history of Israel. It reminds us that when God is abandoned, moral breakdown will always follow. That is because you cannot have morality without spirituality. And you can't have real morality without a relationship with the living God.

That is what happened to Israel. They had pushed God out of their culture. It is not that they didn't believe in God any more. But they elevated other gods to an equal level as they engaged in open idolatry.

For more than 100 years, Israel had lived under the reign of three kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. Each had their flaws, some more than others.

At the end of Solomon's reign, a civil war broke out, and Israel was divided into northern and southern kingdoms. Israel had become progressively more and more wicked when King Ahab emerged, who was the most sinful of all.

His wife Jezebel was even more wicked than him in many ways. She was effectively the power behind the throne. She was also a full-tilt idol worshipper, and soon the nation was turning to idolatry too. Of the thousands who were under Ahab's reign, there were only 7,000 who had not bowed their knee to the false god of Baal.

It was into this wicked moral climate that God's man, Elijah, burst on the scene: "Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, 'As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!' " (1 Kings 17:1 NLT).

Elijah threw down a gauntlet that challenged the very nerve center of the country and the people: he declared a drought.

How was he able to take such a bold step? Because he knew God. Elijah, in contrast to Ahab and Jezebel and most of Israel at this point, served a living God—not a dead one. Elijah recognized that wherever he was, he was in the presence of God.

Second, Elijah was a man of prayer. James 5:17 tells us, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months" (NKJV).It was Elijah's prayer in private that was the source of his power in public.

Third, Elijah faithfully delivered the message. And it was not an easy message God had given him to deliver. He wasn't even able to offer any hope. But Elijah delivered God's message, and he delivered it in its entirety.

Lastly, Elijah was a man of faith and obedience. He faithfully delivered the message to Ahab and Jezebel, but then God told him to go disappear. So for three years, Elijah disappeared into obscurity. God would eventually use him to challenge the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, but the Lord had to first do some work on the prophet's heart. He wasn't ready yet.

Maybe you are in a place right now where the Lord is telling you to step forward, or maybe He is telling you to step back. Perhaps He is telling you to speak up, or He might be telling you to be quiet and just obey.

May God help us to be like Elijah—not a perfect person or a flawless person, but a godly person. And may God use us to be people who will affect our generation—people who will make a difference.

Jesus expressed His desire to care for people in this intimate fashion ~ Bob Hoekstra

More on David and the Lord's Lovingkindness

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. (Psalm 36:7)

Lovingkindness is one of the terms in the Old Testament that has profound spiritual kinship with the New Testament term, grace. Lovingkindness speaks of God's zealous love for His people. This love includes His mercy to hold back the judgment we deserve, as well as His goodness to pour out all that we need. David's heart for God's grace can be seen in the way he cherished the Lord's lovingkindness."How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!" In a series of verses over a few more days, we will see why David greatly valued God's lovingkindness. It involved the far-reaching implications of the Lord's dealing with us according to His lovingkindness.

The first implication that David refers to here is God's protection."Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings." When people consider God's lovingkindness, they are encouraged by His desire to shelter them. Thus, they draw near in faith to be safeguarded by His merciful care. "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by" (Psalm 57:1). Like a devoted bird guarding its young, the Lord displays His lovingkindness in keeping those who trust in Him.

Jesus expressed His desire to care for people in this intimate fashion, even though they might deserve the opposite. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!"(Luke 13:34). David was one who was willing to be gathered under the loving wings of God's care. "Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me" (Psalm 17:8-9). What joy this brings to those who flee to the Lord's lovingkindness. "BecauseYou have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I willrejoice" (Psalm 63:7).

Dear Lord, forgive me for the times I have been unwilling to come to You for Your lovingkindness. I repent of those times when I neglected, or even refused, to humbly place my hope in Your protecting care. How foolish I was. Lord, every time I have come to You, joy has eventually filled my heart. Please nurture in me a heart that consistently relies on Your precious lovingkindness, Amen.

Why did this have to happen? ~ Bob Coy

SIN IS THE CAUSE OF OUR SUFFERING

"You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden-except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Genesis 2:16 (NLT)

When trials collide with our lives, it always seems to produce the question of why. Why did this have to happen? Why is there pain? Why is there turmoil? Why is there death?

There are really two ways of answering these questions. First of all, there are answers that are attached to something specific and personal to our lives. We'll be spending most of this month looking at these. But before we can look at the subject of suffering specifically, we have to look at it generally. That is, there is a general, universal, over-arching reason for mankind's trials.

In the opening verses of the Bible, we witness what happened. It's there in the Garden of Eden where God tells Adam and Eve they can enjoy everything the Garden has to offer them-with one exception. They are not allowed to eat the fruit of the tree that brings knowledge of good and evil. If they do, they will invite sin and death into their perfect world. But that is exactly what they do, and humanity has been dealing with the effects of their decision to disobey ever since.

Why bother going over all this? Because when it comes to the "why's of life" we need to remember that sin is the ultimate culprit, not God. He has a way of taking sin and turning it around to accomplish His purposes for us (Genesis 50:20). But from the very get-go in the Garden, suffering wasn't something God desired for us. Sadly, suffering is something that we've done to ourselves.

Discuss, Dig, Decide:

Discuss the relationship between sin and suffering. How do you see the suffering of this world to be a direct result of sinful choice? How can you support this view?

Dig into Genesis 2:16–17. What were the clear consequences of disobeying this warning? What is the purpose behind this command? In light of this verse, what has God revealed to you about trials?

Decide as a group to look for situations this week where Genesis 50:20 offers an accurate description of the circumstances. Next week, share how you saw God’s plan and purpose for good in a situation that seemed as though it was unredeemable. Encourage one another with your stories of God’s grace.

Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ~ Charles Stanley

God's Principle of Reaping and Sowing

Proverbs 12:14

Galatians 6:7-10 states, "Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life . . . let us do good to all people."

This passage contains an important scriptural truth: Our positive actions will ultimately benefit us, whereas our negative deeds will eventually bring harmful repercussions. This principle is a "corollary" to the Golden Rule. As we saw yesterday, the Lord calls us to treat other people with kindness and respect, even when they aren't easy to love. Admittedly, this can be difficult when an individual wrongs us continually. But if we give in to our flesh and retaliate, we are sowing seeds of corruption, and in due time, we will reap accordingly.

On the other hand, treating someone well?even after he has been unkind?will profit us. According to Scripture, we are "sow[ing] to the Spirit" and will reap rewards. Some benefits may be supernatural and unknown to us at the time. Yet we do know that obedience in this situation will facilitate forgiveness, build character, and develop endurance. No matter what the other person does, we always win when we walk obediently before the Lord.

Think of relationship challenges as a chance for unbelievers to witness God's love in action. With His help, you can sow seeds of love, joy, and peace that will yield a rich harvest for your own life as well as for the other person. You'll also avoid the ill effects that come from harboring bitterness and anger.

Leadership: Are you striving for reputation or honoring God? (84-1) ~ Barry Werner

Are you striving for reputation or honoring God? (84-1)

August 24th, 2009 in 1 Samuel, Courage/Risk-Taking, Fairness, Leadership Principles, Old Testament, Servant Leadership, Stewardship | leave a response

Truly great leaders understand that leadership is all about the opportunity to serve people and add quality to their life. Read 1 Samuel 8:10-18 and 12:1-5.

In ancient Israel godly leaders were hard to find. Samuel, one of Israel’s greatest leaders, was one of the few. His life reflects the story of an intimate God-with-man relationship. Samuel loved God and even in childhood began developing the courage and conviction he would need during the difficult days in which he would serve Israel as prophet and judge.

Samuel’s view of leadership is shown in his protest over Israel’s demand for a king. He warned: “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve…He will take your daughters…He will take the best of your fields…He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage… Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.” Contrast that description with the conduct of Samuel, who served with a giving spirit as Israel’s leader.

Samuel realized the importance of servant leadership and warned against the dangers of leadership that used its power to exploit the people for personal gain and position. The fact that servant leadership was one of Samuel’s core values is validated by his farewell speech to the Israelites in chapter 12 when he asks anyone to step forward that he may have cheated and the people in one voice state that “you have not cheated or oppressed us…you have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

Leadership for Samuel was a stewardship, a responsibility, an honor. He demonstrated integrity because it was not his intention to demonstrate integrity. He was honest because his intention was not to be known as an honest man. He was fair and just because he wasn’t thinking about developing his reputation as an honest and just man. His intention was to honor God and serve God’s people. He wasn’t living to build a reputation. His higher calling and focus resulted in integrity, honesty, fairness, justice, and a good reputation with all the people.

Are you striving for any reputation other than honoring God and serving God’s people? Samuel’s life and legacy show that if you strive to honor God, all the other positive elements of a leader’s reputation will be there as well.

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Tags: Honor God, Responsibility

« Do you take short cuts for those closest to you? (83-5)

Do your words and actions always match? (84-2)

When I first started trying to spend time with God, it was hard for me. I felt silly and self-conscious. ~ Joyce Meyer

Be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
—Ephesians 6:10

When I first started trying to spend time with God, it was hard for me. I felt silly and self-conscious. I was bored. I would sit and yawn and try not to fall asleep. Like anything worthwhile, sitting quietly in the presence of the Lord takes time to master. You have to keep at it. And it is not something that you can learn from someone else. I don't think it is possible to teach another human being to fellowship with God. Why? Because each person is different and has to learn for himself how to communicate with his Creator.

My fellowship time includes prayer of all kinds (petition, intercession, praise, etc.), reading books that God is using to help me, Bible study, waiting on God, repentance, crying, laughing, receiving revelation. My time with Him is different almost every day.

God has an individual plan for each person. If you will go to Him and submit to Him, He will come into your heart and commune with you. He will teach and guide you in the way you should go. Don't try to do what someone else does or to be what someone else is. Just allow the Lord to show you how you are to fellowship with Him. Then follow as He directs your life, step by step.

Lockerbie, the Anger ~ Dry Bones

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Lockerbie, the Anger

Lockerbie, the Anger

As American anger grows at the release of the Lockerbie Bomber (for "compassionate" reasons) the real story is starting to break. According to the London Sunday Times:

Secret Letters Reveal Labour’s Libyan Deal

"DURING the past year a small ship bristling with computers and seismic equipment has been crisscrossing the Gulf of Sidra, in the Mediterranean off the Libyan coast. Its mission: to help to find BP’s next offshore oilfields.

The company’s search for oil off Libya and in a 20,000-mile area in the west of the country potentially offers as much as £15 billion in new revenue. But less than two years ago it was feared that the deal could founder — and the reason was wrangling over Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the jailed Lockerbie bomber.

BP was finally given the go-ahead six weeks after a volte-face by the British government to include Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya under which prisoners could serve out sentences in their home countries. Jack Straw, the justice secretary, revealed this decision in a letter to his Scottish counterpart. He cited “wider negotiations” and the “overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom”.

Sources in the UK and Tripoli said last week that those wider interests included BP’s hoped-for share of Libya’s untapped oil and gas reserves. The decision to include Megrahi in the prisoner transfer arrangement was seen by Libyan officials as paving the way for his release — and BP’s much-coveted deal was finally ratified." -more

So tell me. Are you surprised?

The Lord executes His plans and purposes here on earth through us ~ Mark Balmer

My Cup Running Over

Posted:

Based on “Under His Influence – Emptied and Filled”

by Pastor Mark Balmer;

8/29-30/09,
Message #MB387;

Daily Devotional #5 - “My Cup Running Over”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the master and prepared to do any good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21)

The Lord executes His plans and purposes here on earth through us, His ‘workmanship.’ He uses available and yielded vessels as He pleases; He holds the whole world in His hands! God can use the insignificant, most unlikely situations to manifest His power and glory.

When we empty ourselves of all that we think we have, God opens doors and paves the way for the Holy Spirit to change our world.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8)

I went to work one bright and sunny day. It seemed like a perfectly normal day except that my colleague, feeling ill, had to leave after a few hours. Another lady, who happened to be a Christ follower, came in to help me with the workload.

I was excited, as I had always enjoyed working with her. But God had more than a fun day at work planned for me that day. That afternoon, a customer came to visit who my colleague and some of her church members had witnessed to some years back. As we started talking to this man, I prayed that the Holy Spirit would take full control and have us share exactly what God wanted this man to hear at this point in time.

It turned out this man was going through a divorce and had been researching different religions such as Islam and Hinduism, among others, and he was still searching.

We witnessed extensively to this man for about 45 minutes. After he left, my colleague and I pondered on the greatness of God and how He perfectly puts things in place. The time the man visited was normally a very busy time.

Can you believe no one else came to visit while we were speaking to this man?

It was also not a coincidence that both of us were working together that day. God has not finished with that gentleman yet. It was strongly impressed upon me that God was going to use that gentleman some day for His divine purposes and was systematically arranging these divine encounters.

Throughout the Bible, the Lord again and again used “empty vessels,” people who gave up everything and waited on the Holy Spirit to fill them. Saul, on the way to Damascus was voided of all his purposes and desires when God changed His life. God filled Paul up with His own desires, plans, and aspirations. What was the result? God used Paul to change impact and change the world around Him. (Acts 9:1-31)

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and in earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; and you are exalted as head over all. (1 Chronicles 29:11). God can work in you and through you by His Holy Spirit. He desires and requires all of you, but you must come to Him empty. God is always ready to fill you up till your cup runs over. May the Lord use us in ways that are relevant to our generation. Amen.

Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren

1. UYWILarry Rick,thx for being a Kingdom revolutionary! LARRY,the Church was global centuries before globalization! Jn17:18about 19 hours ago from web
2. "Come&see"(attraction) &"Go&tell"(proclaimation) are both biblical evangelism.To all, Jesus says"COME!" To believers,"GO!"about 19 hours ago from web
3. God loves ALL styles as long as worship is "in spirit & truth"(Jn 4:24) It must be Authentic&Accurate.Devotional&Doctrinal.about 19 hours ago from web
4. No music is "sacred",just the lyrics.Music preference shows ur background,not theology. FACT:God likes some music u dont!about 19 hours ago from web
5. 30 yrs ago I cut "impossible" out of my dictionary because its not in God's vocab."With God all things are possible"Mt19:26about 20 hours ago from web
6. When Kennedy said "We're going to the moon" it was still impossible.Never confuse decisionmaking & problemsolving.about 20 hours ago from web
7. Make the decision THEN solve the problems."if you wait 4 perfect conditions you'll never get anything done."Eccl 11:4(NLT)about 20 hours ago from web
8. Your LifePurpose comes in 3 stages:1WHATGod wants u to do. 2 HOW& WHERE 3WHEN(timing) Delays between stages test ur faith.about 24 hours ago from web
9. Saddleback this wkend: FAITH& REASON;Norm Geisler,JPMoreland,Darrell Bock,William Lane Craig,Dinesh D'Souza,Greg Koukl! 6 messages9:18 AM Sep 4th from web
10. "Surrender your WHOLE body to be used for righteous PURPOSES.”Rom 6:13(TEV) Which part of you is the least converted?8:32 AM Sep 4th from web
11. Discipleship is thinking,feeling &doing:Head,heart&hands!Rom 6:13 Churches &people usually overstress1 &neglect the other28:30 AM Sep 4th from web
12. Humility isnt thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less.If you focus on others, you forget you.1Cor10:2410:42 PM Sep 3rd from web
13. Accept diversity but not divisiveness:Warn a divisive person,then warn a 2nd time.Then have nothing 2do with him.Titus3:105:38 PM Sep 3rd from web
14. More are enslaved TODAY worldwide than before the Civil War.Where are OUR abolitionists? Human trafficking #2 profit crime4:44 PM Sep 3rd from web
15. Liberal theology: "A God w/o wrath brought men w/o sin into a Kingdom w/o judgment thru a Christ w/o a Cross."- Neibuhr '384:37 PM Sep 3rd from web
16. FUN:Soc media in Bible:"Insomniac,I TWITTER away" Ps102:7(Mes) Also Isa.38:14(NAS) Saddleback-1st church on Internet-'92!8:23 AM Sep 3rd from web
17. MT6:25-34 Jesus:WORRY is Unreasonable25,Unnatural26&28-29, Unhelpful27,Unnecessary30-31,Unbelief32. PutGod1st33,1Day@time348:06 AM Sep 3rd from web
18. People follow when leaders love "I weep for the hurt of my people. I am stunned & silent, mute with grief." Jer8:21(NLT)7:45 AM Sep 3rd from web
19. I waste no time following celebs,only heroes.If U use urlife 2serve others, ur a hero2me."The godly r mytrue heroes"Ps16:32:01 PM Sep 2nd from web
20. We need fewer celebrities&more heroes.Celebrities sacrifice for their own wealth,power,or pleasure.Heroes do it for others1:55 PM Sep 2nd from web