It's been a while since my last blog; I apologized. I wanted to write about God in Hollywood and that He is still being represented there.We may not think so anymore considering all the inappropriate stuff we see now, but there are so very good Christian things there. The movie Courageous, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and even an episode of the hi
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Philippians 4:6 New International Version (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Today it's on my heart that we as Christians sometimes treat our prayer life like "Trick or Treat". When we pray to God we have a certian "treat" in mind that we are praying for and if we don't get what we asked for we act like God "Tricked" us. There isn't anywhere in the Bible that says "bring me your list of wants and I will meet everyone of them". God really knows what it is that we need and even if we think that by not giving us exactly what we asked for we got the "Trick". My prayer is we treat every day and situation as a "Treat" from God. Even if it isn't what we had in mind, even if we feel like we've been tricked. Thank God for every day and every Treat and you will be the one who changes. Praying for all of you! Yesterday the minister talked about a verse in James 1:19 Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to anger....It was a verse I really needed. Seems lately I am not so slow to anger. I went home and got out my Bible and read this whole chapter. I thought I was reading to find the verse on anger but now I suspect the Holy Spirt had me read the whole chapter because I needed it.
We will all face trials in live and to "consider it pure joy" is a challenge. My prayer this week is not only that God helps me to be slow to anger but that He helps me to preservere and find joy in the trials that I will face this week. God Bless James 1 Greetings. Trials and Temptations 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,a]'>[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. 9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Listening and Doing 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Read: 1 Corinthians
12:4-6 Playing any form of group sport involves a team effort. Each player on the team has a specific job to do to help the team play well. If one member fails to show or doesn't do his job, the whole team suffers. Now, take that thought a step further. What if the coach made everyone on the football team a quarterback? Who would block? Who would run? Who would kick for the extra point? Not everyone is skilled to be a quarterback. Some are better being the defensive tackle. A few are great kickers, and there must be an offense team as well. It would be one crazy game if the whole team was all quarterbacks fighting for the ball, running for the goal and jockeying for the glory The same applies to the church--the body of Christ. There are churches that push the congregation to be of one mind. These homogeneous churches strive for unity and expect growth, but sadly in most cases these are the churches that will lose membership and interest because different gifts are not appreciated. Now, picture a church in the community which is experiencing much growth. This church probably has several diverse ministries and many outreach programs. A growing church is usually more open to change and may consider doing things a new way to meet the needs of the people. Whereas, homogeneous churches tend to want to keep things as they always have been despite the changing needs of the communit Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12 that not everyone is a "hand", or a "foot" or an "eye." Can you imagine a body that was nothing but feet? Or eyeballs? No, no, no, that's not how it works. To get things accomplished, and accomplished well, God has beautifully and intricately designed a body consisting of many different parts, each performing a necessary function to sustain the entire body. Each and every body part is needed to function well. The same goes for the church body. Not all of us are theologians. Not everyone can sing. Many have a gift for working with children. Some have a desire for missions. Some are just great cooks. There are also those that smile and encourage everyone they meet. It would be wonderful if everyone was as smart as a theologian. That gift is definitely desired. however, without the nursery worker, the foreign mission team, the door greeter and the choir, wouldn't it seem like something was missing? Church wouldn't be complete, would it? God has designed each and everyone of us as unique individuals with special gifts and talents to be used together to build up the body of Christ and work together in unity for His glory. Keep the team spirit up by embracing others as unique individuals who contribute to the good of the whole team. Additional Reading: 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Romans 12 Hello all! Tomorrow the core team meets for the first time to start planning the 2012 CEW's! Isn't that exciting?
There is much consideration and prayer that goes into putting together a team for CEW. Please pray with the core team as we start the planning. Also please start praying for guidence in case you are asked to be on the team. The team cannot function without all the members. Remember your first CEW? Thank you all for the support and continue to keep us in your prayers. God Bless Tami Agape is a Greek word. The Greeks had several words for love, where we have just one.
The first word the Greeks had for love was EROS. It is the root word for "erotic" and it is the kind of love the entertainment industry shows us: I am going to love you for me, for my purposes, for what I can get from you. Another word the Greeks uses is PHILIA. It is our root word for "family." This love is best defined a loving someone but expecting somthing in return, such as to be loved back. In other words, I will love you but I expect you to love me in return. The third word the Greeks use is AGAPE. This one is different, because I expect nothing in return. I will love you just for you. You can't earn my love, you can't pay me back, and you can't make me stop loving you. This is the love Jesus has for us. It is this love that He revealed when He streched out His arms and let them pound nails in His hands. I pray that everyone reading this today experiences AGAPE love! God Bless I see on tv all these products on anti-aging; that magic anti-wrinkle cream that will give you younger-looking skin; that cream that's going to get rid of the bags under your eyes. To me all that stuff is prolonging the inevitable: we're going to get older, let's face that right now. There's is no fountain of youth to turn back the hands of time. God is giving us certain points in our life to mature. If we don't get older, we'll never reach those points of maturity and we'll never grow up to understand what He has for us in that time. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." 1 Corinthians 13:11.
Just watched the movie - Soul Surfer, currently a Red Box Movie Rental. Great family movie. Highly recommend this based on a true story.
Tanya Yes Tanya that was a great movie! So inspirational! |
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