prayer

Someone just popped by and asked me if it was okay to add a person to our prayer list. She is mostly worried because the person didn't technically ask for prayer.

Here is the request:

I'm not sure if this is the right way of doing this, but one of our co-workers is having a really rough week.  She attended one funeral earlier this week, and just found out she lost a family member.  She didn't ask me to share this, and maybe you already know, but if not...I was hoping to lift her and her family members up in prayer.  I feel like maybe I'm violating her privacy a little, but I also think she and her family could use it...

Please add this lady to your prayers.

Please know that it is always good to pray, even when they don't ask. I imagine them coming up to you in heaven and saying "thank you for bringing me to God, even when I couldn't think to ask".

Here is a good prayer from the Book of Common Prayer if you are having trouble organizing your thoughts. Sometimes an old prayer comes in handy:

O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted, or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities; giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

a conversation about fruit

I know you are busy but here was the other question I had during the service. Fruits . . . how in the world do I know what kind of fruits I have? Or you have? As I'm typing this the preacher on the radio is saying God will judge us by our attitude. But seriously, what would our fruits be? 

Only reply when you have time. I know mornings are probably busy for you. 

See, when I think of the fruits of the spirit....man I need my bible!  I think of things also, like:   

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)

and I think that is exhibited in abundance with the many believers, especially here, that I've encountered.

There's a love that flows that is almost tangible.  

IMHO people are not naturally kind.  And being able to welcome someone the way that you do, encourage someone the way that you do, pray for someone the way that you do, etc.  Is showing the love of God and I believe that is something that draws others to him, because they see that so strongly.  

Even someone who is not yet saved, can see and remember that.  And I think that plants a seed.

I remember before I became saved, I overheard a girl in middle school talking about the Lord.  I had known about Him before then, but it was the first time I can remember thinking, "I want that..."

When I think about how God will judge us, I think first about why we are here on Earth, which I believe is simply: to serve Him.  We are created to serve Him, and I think we do that by allowing His Spirit to lead our live.  We do that by trusting Him with all aspects of our lives (which I always fail, and then try again, and then sometimes again and again), and by doing that we supernaturally have a Christ-like love that shapes and changes our attitudes.

boot camp

http://www.equip.org/articles/spiritual-boot-camp/

The gospel is at the heart of the Christian faith. If Christians do not know how to share their faith, they have probably never been to “boot camp.” The gospel should be so much a part of you that presenting it becomes second nature. Here’s an easy way to do just that.

The first step involves developing a relationship with an unbeliever. This includes using your personal testimony as a bridge into sharing the good news of the gospel. This is the inverse of grabbing somebody by the lapels and shouting, “Brother, are you saved?”

After a relationship is established, you can move naturally into a presentation of the gospel using the alliterated words realize, repent, and receive.

First, according to Scripture, people need to realize that they are sinners. If we do not realize that we are sinners, we will not recognize our need for a savior. The Bible says we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

Furthermore, one must repent of their sins. Repentance is an old English word that describes a willingness to turn from sin toward Jesus Christ. It literally means a complete U-turn on the road of life-a change of heart and a change of mind. It means having a willingness to follow Jesus and receive Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus said, “Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15).

Finally, true belief means a willingness to receive. To truly receive is to trust in and depend on Jesus Christ alone to be the Lord of our lives here and now and our Savior for all eternity. It takes more than knowledge (the Devil knows about Jesus). It takes more than agreement that the knowledge we have is accurate (the Devil agrees that Jesus is Lord). What it takes is trust in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. The requirements for eternal life are based not on what we can do but on what Jesus Christ has done. He stands ready to exchange His perfection for our imperfection.

According to Jesus Christ, those who realize they are sinners, repent of their sins, and receive Him as Savior and Lord are “born again” (John 3:3)-not physically, but spiritually. And with this spiritual birth must come growth.

Because we are called to make disciples, not converts, we also need to be equipped to lead those who receive Christ as Savior and Lord through the basic steps of discipleship and growth as new believers.
Consider what would happen if every evangelical Christian led just one person to faith in Christ each year. If we began with only twelve committed Christians and each of them led one person to Christ and discipled that person, next year there would be twenty-four believers. If each of them in turn led one person to Christ and discipled that person, the third year there would be forty-eight believers. If this process continued, it would take less than thirty years to evangelize the six billion or more people alive today on planet Earth! If in the same time frame the population doubled, it would take only one additional year.^l

Many people today run from church to church in search of the ultimate experience. No experience, however, can compare with that of the Holy Spirit working through you in the process of bringing someone to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
—Hank Hanegraaff

History - The Truth Project (Thursday, July 17)

Today we watched 12. Lesson 6: History, teaser: Windows Media .wmv (4.5MB); QuickTime .mov (3.9MB)

Prayer requests include prayers for safe travel for friends from Paraguay and for a family trip to be beneficial for a family member who isn't saved and for another struggling with a possible addiction. A request for prayer for court and an ex-husband. Please check out the prayer request to the left for other prayers from people who do come to bible study - and others who don't. Thank you for your care in remembering these requests when you come before our Mighty God.

Please feel free to share the link to our blog and to The Truth Project. This video series is very interesting and highly recommended.

Thanks. 

single . . .

(Found a great article that I have to share. I also came across this wonderful picture that, while it didn't come with the article, it just has to be shared as well!)



Single for God

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 11, 2014

For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:5

How do we stay single for God in a society that marginalizes God? First, it happens within our soul. There is a deep respect and love for God. There is a resolve of righteousness. There is an inner commitment to purity that we proclaim–like young, handsome and winsome Joseph: “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9). Someone single for God abides by a standard for living defined by the living Lord Jesus in His word, the Bible. So, he or she is a diligent and teachable student, ever learning. They grow because they know God.

Indeed a single heart aligned with the heart of the Lord is never alone. The Holy Spirit is always present to lead, comfort and convict. We may wander in self pity to the edge of despair, but Christ is there to lead us back to hopeful thinking. We may wonder why our prayers are not answered immediately in the affirmative, but we grow to understand the wisdom of waiting on our heavenly Father. His is wise not to bestow His blessings until we are ready to receive them.

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5).

Furthermore, peaceful security comes to the soul of a single whose identity is wrapped up in Jesus. Because of their quiet confidence in the Lord, there is no pressure to impress, no guilt or shame in deciding differently from another’s opinion. Our faith teeters off balance if our joy depends on someone else’s good opinion. However, in Christ we are accepted. He is our audience of one whom we want to honor with our faith, love and obedience. We are single for God when we are single, not double minded. Our identity in Christ helps us identify His priorities.

What is your biggest challenge in being single for God? Fear, embarrassment, loneliness, or being singled out? Perhaps you are newly single from a divorce or death. Your stable world has been rocked by change, confusion and hurt. In your vulnerable state be transparent with your heavenly Father, but avoid making rash decisions you may later regret. Do your best, trust God with the rest, while resting in Him. Allow God’s grace and mercy to make you whole. You are incredibly loved by your Maker in heaven. Use your singleness for God as a season of faithfulness others can follow.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, use my single lifestyle as a sacrifice of praise and service to You.

http://www.wisdomhunters.com/2014/07/single-for-god/

today's bible study

Truth Project - Science. We finished the last episode.

The heavens declare the Glory of God!

Announcements:

Doug and Bethany will be at Aimee's house this coming Tuesday (July 15) and you are welcome to attend. Just email Aimee for details.

By the way, did you know that you can attend Bible Study via the intranet? :)

Something we have decided, which is something we should have been doing all along, and that is to pray for the direction of our Bible Study here at work. So please pray.

Evangelism at Ease via DesiringGod.org

Sweaty hands and a gnawing in the stomach. Nervous thoughts that can’t sort themselves out fast enough. The all too cognitive sense that the words coming out are forced, a formula you’d rather memorize than fumble through.
If you’ve ever tried to intentionally share the gospel with an unbeliever, you might relate to such an experience.
Throughout college, and especially this past year in Central Asia, it has been a journey trying to discern how to point a dying world to the living Messiah. When I have found myself in situations feeling prompted to share the gospel, too often I have landed upon one of two methods: saying nothing, or saying something really awkward that might even come off as insincere. Both approaches have left me more than a little frustrated with myself. I want to be intentional but natural, bold but organic, and I’ve often been caught in this distressed dance of trying to conjure authenticity.

Introducing a Person

If you’re like me, often what trips us up is the anticipation that someone’s reaction to our bringing up matters of faith will spawn a wave of interrogating questions we can’t answer. When we don’t have the answers, we worry that we’ll give Christianity a bad name, as if by talking at all we’ll do more harm than good. I wonder, though, if we have created so much pressure for ourselves to deliver a paradigm that we fail to introduce a Person.
What if in our interactions with unbelievers, we stopped fearing that we might misrepresent Christianity, getting caught up in explaining away the Crusades and analogizing the Trinity, and instead just talked about who Jesus is? What if we simply introduce people to the Jesus we know, and let him speak for himself?
If we know anything about the Jesus we follow, we ought to know that he can handle things — that he is the sovereign Savior who always knows exactly what he’s doing. Look at the Gospel accounts and you won’t see a man pining for a following (John 6:66–67). You won’t see a man hesitant to dissuade the apathetic from the cost of discipleship (Matthew 19:16–22). You won’t see a man beating around the bush afraid to offend his listeners (John 6:60–65; Luke 9:57–62). What if we are simply called to make this Jesus known and let God be the one to draw his own to himself? Russell Moore explains,

You need not be intimidated by unbelievers, as though what you need is a more nuanced “worldview” to protect the kingdom of God from their threats. Yes, we engage in apologetic arguments, but those aren’t at the hub of our mission. . . . We should talk about those things lovingly, but not so we can defend the faith. We engage others only so we can get to the only announcement that assaults the blinding power of the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). The gospel is big enough to fight for itself. (Tempted and Tried, 110–111)

His Purposes, Not Ours

Rarely are we quick to imbibe Paul’s methodology, forsaking eloquence and superior wisdom to only know Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1–3). We tend to forget that even the most compelling arguments, the most logical defenses, cannot draw a heart to Jesus, because it is Jesus who draws a heart to Jesus.
In the presence of unbelievers, speak freely. Tell stories about Jesus from the Gospels. Talk about how he is at work in your life. Ponder aloud what you admire about him. And then leave it in their court. There’s a time to press the conscience, but it doesn’t need to be every time. If Jesus intrigues them, encourage them to read more about him in Scripture. If they are averse to Jesus, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It’s not about your ability to convince anyone of anything. It’s not about you at all, actually. It’s about a man — the God-man — who came to redeem, restore, relieve, reform, forgive, challenge, convict, rebuke, and sometimes even confuse (Matthew 13:13–15).
Get out of the way and let him do his work.


http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/evangelism-at-ease




end

worship

Just saw this picture on Facebook, on JCLU Forever post, concerning worship:

The One Hundred Forty Fifth Psalm

Exaltabo te, Deus.

---

I WILL magnify thee, O God, my King; * and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.

Every day will I give thanks unto thee; * and praise thy Name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD, and marvellous worthy to be praised; * there is no end of his greatness.

One generation shall praise thy works unto another, * and declare thy power.

As for me, I will be talking of thy worship, * thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;

So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts; * and I will also tell of thy greatness.

The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be showed; * and men shall sing of thy righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and merciful; * long-suffering, and of great goodness.

The LORD is loving unto every man; * and his mercy is over all his works.

All thy works praise thee, O LORD; * and thy saints give thanks unto thee.

They show the glory of thy kingdom, * and talk of thy power;

That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom, * might be known unto men.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, * and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.

The LORD upholdeth all such as fall, * and lifteth up all those that are down.

The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord; * and thou givest them their meat in due season.

Thou openest thine hand, * and fillest all things living with plenteousness.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways, * and holy in all his works.

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him; * yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; * he also will hear their cry, and will help them.

The LORD preserveth all them that love him; * but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.

My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; * and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.

people of the Bible

I came across this website and I wanted to share it with you.

http://www.bible-people.info/index.htm

Elizabeth Fletcher is the author and she has multiple links to lots of excellent references.

This is the picture that first caught my eye: Ruth sheltering Naomi

Matthew 25:40

When you serve a friend, Jesus applauds that service as if it were done to him. | Matt 25:40

4th of July and always

ALMIGHTY God, who hast created man in thine own image; Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil, and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice among men and nations, to the glory of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

saved