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Click here to support My first Ministry Mission by William Wheat

Click here to support My first Ministry Mission by William Wheat

Mission Cambodia 2013

Dear Friends

How are you doing? I hope that God is doing as many wonderful things in your life as He is in mine. This is BY FAR the most EXCITING letter that I have ever written! I am having a wonderful time serving God, and feeling God's will to do more for the world around me.

 I want to share with you a challenging ministry opportunity that God has presented to me. From June 30 through July 14 God has offered me the chance to go to Cambodia with a Group from Sun Valley Community Church. This 14-day mission trip will be reaching out and spreading gospel to the Cambodia people while also learning more about the people there and their culture. The church we are building is really blessed and they are used not only as churches on Sunday, but with this particular group they use them as early childhood education centers during the week, medical clinics, food distribution centers and community (village) meeting places.

While God has opened up a door for me to develop a greater heart of compassion for His people around the world, the exciting part is that you will be able to share in this compassion in several ways. First, you can help pray for me and my fellow travelers. We will need prayers that God will prepare us for our visit and bless our efforts as we minister to the people of Cambodia. We will also need prayers that our financial needs will be met. At this time I need to raise $2,700 to attend this trip, and that is quite a challenge!

 Another way you can be involved is to help provide financial support. Would you consider supporting me with a small donation? I will need to raise all my funds by June10 in order to pay for airline tickets and other items. Please make checks payable to Sun Valley Community Church attn. William Wheat. Whether you feel led to contribute financially, through prayer, or both, all of your support is appreciated.

I look forward to doing God's work in Cambodia and letting you know all about how God has worked through this team when I return in July.
Give online @ http://www.sunvalleycc.com/casa-grande/give/giving--svcc/

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 Cambodia & William Wheat

This full trip will be documented and posted at http://www.jesuschrist365.com/cambodia2013.htm We will have Pictures & Stories of Daily events from beginning to end. Be a part of this special experience in helping the Lords people. You also will be able to see our financial progress as we raise the funds to make this mission possible. Thank you 



 God Bless,

 William Wheat

William Wheat

Sun Valley Community Church
205 N. Florence St.
Casa Grande, AZ 85122
http://www.sunvalleycc.com/

We will be helping to build a church.

Dear Friends and Family: Donate @ www.lifelovefaith.com

How are you doing? I hope that God is doing as many wonderful things in your life as He is in mine. I am having a wonderful time serving God, and feeling God's will to do more for the world around me.

I want to share with you a challenging ministry opportunity that God has presented to me. From June 29 through July 14 God has offered me the chance to go to Cambodia with a Group from Sun Valley Community Church. This 14-day mission trip will be reaching out and spreading gospel to the Cambodia people while also learning more about the people there and their culture. We will be helping to build a church.

While God has opened up a door for me to develop a greater heart of compassion for His people around the world, the exciting part is that you will be able to share in this compassion in several ways. First, you can help pray for me and my fellow travelers. We will need prayers that God will prepare us for our visit and bless our efforts as we minister to the people of Cambodia. We will also need prayers that our financial needs will be met. At this time I need to raise $3,000 to attend this trip, and that is quite a challenge!

Another way you can be involved is to help provide that financial support. Would you consider supporting me with a small donation? I will need to raise all my funds by June 10 in order to pay for airline tickets and other items. Please make checks payable to William Wheat. Whether you feel led to contribute financially, through prayer, or both, all of your support is appreciated.

I look forward to doing God's work in Cambodia and letting you know all about how God has worked through this team when I return in July.

God Bless,

William Wheat

God promises to rebuild and renew our relationships

Many people feel that they have to be in control of every situation. Unfortunately, this attitude doesn't go away when they get home. In fact, it's often intensified in an intimate relationship. Sometimes piety is used to control a spouse. The problem, of course, doesn't lie with God's laws but with our own sinful nature. God must be the one in charge - not us. God promises to rebuild and renew our relationships when we place him in charge of our lives. Allow God to be the one who is in control of your marriage. When you get this, both of you will be equal partners before him.

 Undoubtably you have heard about a husband who gives his wife a dozen roses or a wife fixes her husband a special candlelight dinner after doing something that he or she regrets. While gestures are signs of remorse for wrong actions, they don't get at the root of the problem. Giving a gift does not mean that our hearts have truly changed. Don't become like Pharisees and offer tokens of gestures that are meaningless. Give your spouse the gift that truly demonstrates your love: kindness, understanding, and, above all, mercy.

We live in a culture where we're told that our interest and desire should not be subject to anyone else - if we want something, we deserve to have it. A good marriage involves thinking first of someone other than yourself. Don't make your spouse a second - class citizen in your home. Treated him or her with the same love and respect that you want in return.

Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only to please themselves, but those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please God. Romans 8:5

By Pastor William Wheat
www.lifelovefaith.com

It is time for judgment to begin.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.1 Peter 4: 12-17

A marriage is also built on “progressive revelation.”

A word that is used frequently when people refer to a married couple is commitment. “They really seem like a very committed couple.” “Their commitment to each other was apparent after that he lost his job.” “Her illness really tested their commitment.”

While it’s true that commitment is an important part of a successful marriage, the most important ingredient is love. You can be committed to a job but not love it. You can be committed to paying your taxes but not feel any affection for your W2 form. The same is true for a married couple. Commitment will serve you during the best and worst of times. But love will transcend the mundane activities of your lives together and ensure that you will forsake all others for the one you vowed to cherish as long as you both shall live.

 

God's revelation to his people is progression. The deeper the relationship you have with your spouse and have with the Lord, the more he will reveal himself to you. In the verse 1 Corinthians, Paul shares God's promise that someday, when we go to heaven, God will show us his complete glory and we understand  everything perfectly that now seems confusing.

A marriage is also built on “progressive revelation.” One of the joys of married life is the chance to completely know another person. By sharing each other's hopes, fears, triumphs, in tragedies, the love and devotion a couple have for one another will grow and mature. Remember just as you don't have to completely understand the ways of God to serve him faithfully, you also don't have to figure out such mysteries as why your spouse put syrup on your cottage cheese to love him or her with all your heart.

 

Life is unpredictable. Each day we are confronted with decisions and events that causes anxiety and uncertainty. One of the great comforts of the Christian life is knowing we can rest in the assurance that God is in complete control. Just as Jesus said that our Heavenly Father is even concerned about the sparrow that falls from its nest, we are guaranteed that he cares about us infinitely more.

If you and your spouse are going through a time of hardship or indecision, turn your cares over to the Lord. If he can calm the winds of the sea, he is more than able and willing to meet your needs and reveal his will for your lives.

 

By William Wheat (Pastor)

God has an ultimate purpose.

The devil is responsible for all the sin, sickness, sorrow, suffering, crime, poverty and death on this earth. He has brought sects, divisions, enmity, strife, skepticism, unbelief, and worldliness into the Church of Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him, do not perish, but have eternal life.

God has an ultimate purpose.

 

Son, the Son of His love, should in all things have the preeminence. He is before all things and by Him all things consist. He has been appointed heir of all things. For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross. He suffered humiliation, rejection, and death to redeem, by God’s infinite grace, a world of sinners in despair and utter ruin. Nothing but the grace of God can redeem a single member of the human race.

If you will fall in with God’s present plan, submit to His will and turn the government of your life over to the Son of God, you will share His glory ages after He has consigned Satan to the lake of fire. Then and only then will He let you into all of the secrets that you need to know, and answer all the whys that He thinks you ought to know.

Ephesians 4:31-32

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Signs of Christ's return

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

—Acts 1:9-11

1. The coming of Christ will be instantaneous and worldwide. "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." —Matthew 24:27
2. The coming of Christ will be visible to all. "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." —Matthew 24:30
3. The coming of Christ will be audible. "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." —Matthew 24:31
4. The resurrection of the righteous will occur. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first." —1 Thessalonians 4:16
5. In one single event, the saved who are alive at Christ's coming will be caught up together with the resurrected to meet the Lord in the air. "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." —1 Thessalonians 4:17

Love A Gift From God for couples

Jesus Is Born in Bethlehem
Matthew 1:18 – 25

Where are the facts concerning the birth of Jesus Christ: his mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her fiancé, being a man of stern principal, decided to break the engagement but to do it quietly, as he didn't want to publicly disgrace her.
As he lay awake considering this, he fell into a dream, and saw an angel standing beside him. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “don't hesitate to take Mary as your wife! For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a Son, and you shall name him Jesus (meaning ‘Savior’), for he will save his people from their sins. This will fulfill God's message through his prophets-
Listen! The virgin shall conceive a child! She shall give birth to a Son, and he shall be called “Emmanuel” (meaning “God is with us”).
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel commanded, and brought Mary to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born; and Joseph named him “Jesus.”

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome
Romans 1:8-15
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

Proverbs 1:7 – 9
How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord. Only fools refuse to be taught. Listen to your father and mother. What you learn from them will stand you in good stead; it will gain you many honors.

Highlighted Verse
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. Romans 1:11 – 12

 

Summary
A common theme in situation comedies on television is for a husband or wife to come home after a bad day at work and begin to take his or her frustrations out on the other member of the family. Over the course of the next 30 minutes everyone becomes angry at the person who started the whole thing until something happens and make them all realize how silly they've been. Right before the credits roll it down they vow never to fight again – a promised that last until the following week or until the show is canceled, whichever comes first.
Although Paul was writing to the Christians in Rome, his words ring true in the lives of couples today. Encouraging your spouse is one of the greatest privileges of married life. If your husband or wife is going through a difficult time, regardless of the circumstances, be spiritual blessing by listening to his or her problems and praying together until God resolves the situation.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, guide us in our adventure of spiritual openness with one another. Give us the words to say that will encourage each of us to live according to your promises and your divine will. Let each of us be a blessing to the other.

Eternal happiness is found clearly in Jesus Christ

God wants every human being on the planet to be happy. Anything that anyone desires is because they think their desire will make them happy. Whether it is health, money, a loving relationship, material things, accomplishments, a job, or anything at all, the desire to know Jesus is the step to true happiness. But remember that following Jesus is a way to eternal happiness, and something on the outside can only bring fleeting happiness, because material things are impermanent.

True happiness comes from you choosing to walk with Jesus. When you choose Jesus, then you attract all the happy things that come with getting to know God. The happy things are all around us but giving your life to Jesus makes life all that sweeter and rewarding. God wants you to be successful. Eternal happiness is found clearly in Jesus Christ and Christians will have eternal happiness with God when we get to heaven.
www.lifelovefaith.com

The Good News Is about Jesus Christ

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-7
 

Proverbs for Today

 1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behaviour, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, And let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, The sayings and riddles of the wise.  Proverbs 1:1-6

 Highlight Verse

 

5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. Romans 1:5

 

Summary

 

Long after people forgotten that the organist hit a flat instead of a sharp during the opening of the "Wedding March" or that the Maid of Honor had a coffee stain on her gown or that the cake had just a little too much baking soda in it, they will remember that each of you made a vow to love, honor, and cherish the other for as long as you both shall live. From that day forth, your friends and family began to think of you not have"Bob" or "Mary" - but as" Bob and Mary" -  a couple who will share the rest of their lives together as one.

Allow your marriage to reflect the forgiveness of Christ by showing kindness towards each other and by being an example, of his mercy to those around you. In an age of rising divorce rates and dysfunctional families, a Christian couple whose marriage is rooted in prayer and the Word of God will demonstrate to friends and family his love, his kindness, and his goodness.

Prayer

 

Heavenly Father, we submit our marriage to you. Forgive us of any habits or attitudes we have that are not pleasing in your sight or that don't bring glory to you. Help us to spend less energy thinking about ourselves and our desires and more time focusing on you and the great work that you are doing in our lives.

 

 

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory.

 

Our Vision is to help people stuck in sin through the difficulties of life. Bringing Love, Hope, Faith and leading them to Jesus Christ.

Our Mission is that we believe that there is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; this God created all, upholds all, and governs all.

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in Holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that he hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

We are here to serve God and provide you with the necessary resources that will lead you on a path with Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

        



The blessings of a child

Parenting is a long-term project that never really ends. It's an intensive, hands-on calling the ridiculous work hours and no time off for good behavior. If it paid by the hour, I need no retirement plan at all.
Parenting's rewards are not always what I expect. Often they are priceless. An older brother shelters his pesky sister from a bully, willing to take any blows directed at her. A grown man kneels in front of his grandfather's chair to help him open a present while they talk of days gone by. A daughter brings her widowed mother on a family vacation to enjoy the grandchildren's reaction to Disneyland.
Thank you, Father, for these children and all the blessings they had brought in the past and will continue to bring in the future.....Amen

And let us not weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

Walking in the spirit

"And I will put my Spirit within you and talk to you walk in my statutes and you should keep my judgments and do them." Ezekiel 36:27

In my own power, Lord, I cannot walking yours statutes. Even when my heart wants to obey, sin trips me. My heart and my mind wander into places they have no business going. Instead of keeping your judgments, I make my own weak ones. Fill me with your spirit, so that I may glorify you in every choice I make. When my every thought and actions are directed by Your spirit, I cannot go astray. Give me the strength to obey you completely, so each section of my days maybe filled with testimonies to you. Amen

Three Root Causes of Stalled Spiritual Transformation

Raising boys has given me a great appreciation for the concept of transformation. My wife and I raised three sons. They are all followers of Christ. They have all married godly women. Two have children, and the third will grace us with another grandchild this fall. We watched them move from toddler to preschooler to adolescent to teenager and then to adulthood.

                There are times when boys stall out in their maturing from one stage of life to another. Content with the level of care they receive in one stage, it is difficult to see the need to mature. In reality, it is not just little boys who get stuck in one stage of life—we all do it.

                It even happens in the life of individual believers and entire churches. We know that when Christ gets hold of a life or church, transformation occurs. Scripture teaches that sin is forgiven, mercy is shown, and lives are made new. But there are seasons when transformation stalls. As believers, we have a new standing with God, but our life in the world does not always reflect it.

                The apostle Paul knew that the ongoing transformation had stalled in the lives of the Corinthian believers. In response, he wrote a tough letter to them about the nature of the gospel and how it was to be lived out in the natural course of life.

Discovering transformation

As we embarked on the Transformational Church initiative at LifeWay, our study uncovered many churches where transformation was ongoing, but also too many where it had stalled. As I thought through the findings, Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church seemed as applicable as ever. As in any generation, God’s children can stall out, and the reasons seem universal.

None of us like things that stall, but everyone seems to have experience with them. When Nellie Jo and I were younger, we owned a terrible car. It would stall at the worst times, normally the middle of an intersection. The only way to get my stalled car to start again was to open the hood and slam it back. It was both odd and embarrassing. But we did not have the resources to get anything better. So we had to endure with something that stalled at the most inopportune moments. I despised that car.

                I dislike it even more when life stalls, when I see the spiritual growth of my church stagnate. Christians are to experience the new life in every new day. The connection to Christ is a guarantee that transformation is continual. The eternal reality that we were saved from sin should have a daily effect on life in this world. But sometimes, it stalls. How can we help liberate our congregations from their spiritual lethargy?

The Corinthians and us

The first letter to the Corinthians was probably tough for Paul to write and tough for the church to receive. They were in the midst of a city known for all of the wrong moral codes. Many of us live, work, and worship in cities similar to Corinth. Sadly, the moral code of the city became the moral code for many of the Corinthian believers—and the same happens in our day.

                The letter from Paul leaps from antiquity and into our laps today. When I read it, I don’t just hurt for my congregation—it hurts me. The Spirit convicts me through it. I am often forced to admit that a stalling effect has taken place in my own transformation. Read this short passage in the third chapter:

                “Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet able to receive it. In fact, you are still not able, because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like ordinary people?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3, HCSB)

 

The members of the Corinthian church had placed their faith in Christ and moved from darkness to light. But their lives stalled. They had not lost their salvation, but they had lost the forward momentum in their daily lives for real-time transformation.

                When we lead our people in the process of transformation, we need to orient them to the reality of the war within them. Romans 8:8-9 says, “Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” Once a Christian, the Spirit lives within us. But the “old self” still wars against the transformation. It is a battle and process that will continue until we enter eternity.

                But I am given a great deal of hope when considering the transformational churches discovered in our research. The leaders of churches who have chosen to pursue change for themselves and their church communities reflect what is possible through God’s work in us. I think 1 Corinthians 3 gives us a portrait of what our church members must guard against in order to experience the fullness of transformation God intends. Let me point out three ways transformation stalls and give some responses as well.

1. Transformation stalls without spiritual exercise.

Verse 1 says that the Corinthian believers were acting like “babies in Christ.” They had Christ but were neglecting to grow up. They should have been eating solid spiritual food but needed to stay on spiritual milk because they lacked maturity. The only answer is exercise.

                We all know that the believer cannot be transformed without the truth. Time in God’s Word is a necessity for our spiritual exercise. Church members must not fall into the trap of thinking that group study is enough. I think everyone should be involved in a small group Bible study and be exposed to strong biblical preaching, but leaving out their personal time with the Scriptures is a quick path to stalling their spiritual transformation.

                Exercise begins with prayer. In another letter, Paul wrote, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Prayer was so important to transformational churches that we devoted an entire section of our book to it. In our research, we discovered that 73 percent of transformational churches (i.e., churches that are helping people become more like Christ and communities that reflect the kingdom of God) agreed with the statement, “Seeing people praying together is a normal sight in our church.” From the stories we heard, these are not perfunctory prayers before fellowship meals; these believers, fighting against a stalling form of Christianity, were truly listening and speaking to God in prayer.

                Remaining active in sharing the Gospel is also important in staving off the stall that often occurs. I believe that losing the sense of what the gospel can do in the lives of others has a powerful effect in our lives. In our recent research, 77 percent of members in transformational churches strongly or moderately agreed with the statement, “Our church’s members understand the importance of sharing their faith story with friends.” The work of evangelism has the side effect of reinforcing its own power in the life of the one who does the sharing.

 

I would also add that serving others keeps us on track as a spiritual exercise leading people toward transformation. Service lifts our eyes from personal needs to those who are needy right around us or in a different culture. God uses service to aid others and to conform us to the image of Christ.

                As physical exercise is a discipline, so is spiritual exercise. Transformation is something that actively takes place in our lives. We are transformed by the gospel to consistently become more like Christ and lead others to do the same.

2. Transformation stalls amidst envy and strife.

In verse 3, Paul tells the Corinthians that they are “still fleshly.” Continually yielding to the world precludes a person from yielding to the way of Christ. Obsession over the lives of others brought about by envy and strife distracts from a focus upon the life of Christ.

                Envy and jealousy are extreme forms of selfishness. With envy, we want someone else’s life more than we want to be like Christ. With jealousy, we want what others have more than we want Christ himself. These forms of selfishness move us away from personal transformation and mission to personal promotion and ego.

                These sinful characteristics deny a person the opportunity to serve others, and transformation is abandoned. But believers and churches experiencing transformation act just the opposite. Celebrating acts of service was common in transformational churches. They agreed with the statement, “Our church celebrates when members serve the local city or community” at the majority rate of 53 percent.

                The stories we heard from these churches lead me to conclude that the fleshly attitude of refusing service to one another is a self-inflicted wound. When we serve, envy and jealousy have no room to stall our transformation. Rather, the service becomes an outworking of Christ’s transforming character within us.

3. Transformation stalls when we live like the world.

The final issue I see in this short passage from Paul is his question in verse 3: “Are you not fleshly and living like ordinary people?” It is an indictment of believers who have stifled the transformation begun in them by the gospel.

                One of the greatest condemnations that can come into the life of a Christian is that he/she has settled for an ordinary life. Transformation by its very nature means that something significantly different from the world is happening in our lives. In C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory, he wrote: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (Lewis, C.S., The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 26) Lewis is right; we should see the pleasures of this world as trinkets in comparison to the transformation offered by Christ.

                Life is too brief to live like the world and deny our new position in Christ. It seems counter-intuitive, but giving our lives over to God’s power each day is the active path of experiencing transformation.

Striving rather than stalling

 

What if each morning, your church members prayed something like this: “Lord, I choose to be sold out to you today. Let me cross paths with those who need to see how your power transforms a life. Let me put others ahead of myself. Rejecting the feebleness of this world, help me to live like Christ.” Imagine the transformation possible if they chose to place God’s mission and the interests of others before their own. I fear that too many people simply hope to survive the day unnoticed and unscathed. I discovered that such a mentality is too much like the world and too little like Jesus.

                In listening to the stories from our research, we discovered that churches and individuals experiencing transformation all went through a cathartic moment in life. At some point in time, they looked around and decided that more was possible. Some came to this conclusion because of negative circumstances and others because of a great victory, but the principle was clear: a decision must be made.

                The natural order of things is for energy to wane, and things come to a grinding halt. But the Christian life does not have that intention. God creates a new life in us and wants to transform our everyday living into a portrait of the gospel’s power. If you find your congregation stalled, then it is time to help them make a decision. Christ’s plan for His people is that they might be more and more like Him. Decide today that stalling is no longer an option for them, and choose the hope born from transformation.Life Love Faith Ministries
by Thom Rainer

Baptism: Beginning of a New Life.

We’ve been talking about iPods the past few weeks, and as we’ve mentioned before iPods are a wondrous playthings, capable of storing and playing thousands of your personal favorite songs at the touch of button. But iPods do not magically perform this service. They need power.
Where do iPods get their power from? (batteries).
That’s right, just like numerous other electric devices, iPods run on batteries. Fortunately, due to the wonder of science, iPods are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that can play music on some iPods for up to 14 hours on a charge. And these wondrous power sources can be recharged up to 500 times and have an estimated lifespan of 3 years.

And as I was researching that information, I discovered that scientists are even working now on a new technology (nanowire batteries) that could increase the playing power of the iPod 10 times (140 hrs per charge).

You could say: the life of the iPod is its battery.
Without that battery there is no life, no power… no music.

However, as I was researching this topic online I noticed that there was one issue that some users complained a lot about? Do you think you know what that is? That’s right – the durability of their iPod’s batteries.

Back in September of 2004, Casey Neistat of New York City discovered that the battery in his 1st-generation 5-gigabyte iPod could no longer hold a charge for more than an hour. So he called Apple. Unfortunately for him, Apple basically advised him to buy a new iPod (their prices at the time ranged from $300 to $500 a piece) because they didn’t have a battery replacement policy at the time. Neistat was upset. And he decided that – since Apple wasn’t going to replace the battery for him, he’d do it himself. He bought an off brand battery for $50, set down to open his iPod… and promptly broke it. Now, it didn’t matter what kind of battery he had, it would never work again.
Neistat was so infuriated that he started an internet site called ipodsdirtysecret.com which featured a video of him spray-painting the phrase: "iPod’s unreplaceable battery lasts only 18 months" all over lower Manhattan.
That got Apple’s attention, and they began offering a replacement service for $99.

(Just as a disclaimer here: Apple is consistently ranked #1 in product quality and support by leading consumer groups, such as Consumer Reports).

Now I don’t blame Apple for the problem. They figured a battery’s only going to last so long anyway… so why get so upset? But in spite of the fact that it’s a fact of life that a battery will eventually age and die they soon discovered… people did get a little upset. People don’t react well to death… even if it’s the death of their iPod.

And people don’t react well to their own death’s either
One wit once said: “I am not afraid to die. It’s just that I can’t get up much enthusiasm for it.”
But despite that humor, most people do fear death.

Sigmund Freud - the father of psychiatry - observed “… finally there is the painful riddle of death, for which no remedy at all has yet been found, nor probably will ever be!”

Years ago, a song writer named Randy Newman (a rock musician in the 70s, who has since written the musical scores for “Toy Story”, “Monsters Inc”, and other movies), was being interviewed by a magazine back in the 70s and responded to one question by saying: “I think religion is tremendously powerful force. How else is someone going to face the horror of everything ending?”
Knowing Newman to be an atheist, the reporter shot back: “So how do you face it?”
Newman replied: “I don’t. I joke around…”

Throughout my files, I have stories of people who’ve struggled with the fear of death because it is a reality in this world that most people are uncomfortable with death. They’re afraid of death.

And that’s what the Bible teaches us in Hebrews 2:15 – it says the major reason Jesus took on the form a man and died on the cross, was to “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Jesus came to free us from that fear of death.
That’s why, throughout the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly said things like:
"I am the way and the truth and the life...” John 14:6
“... Because I live, you also will live.” John 14:19
“…I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” John 11:25

Jesus freed us from the fear of death by dying on the cross AND THEN by personally overcoming that death by His resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead, He broke the bonds of death.

As I Corinthians 15 says it; "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."O Death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?"
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15:54-57

Jesus came to give us life, and life more abundantly than any other power can give.

But there is still that ticklish problem:
Just like the batteries in our electronic devices we still age, and decay… and eventually die.
How can this mortal body become immortal?
How can that which is perishable become imperishable?

Well, what we need a different battery… a different life-source.
And that’s what Romans 6 is all about.

Read again with me: Romans 6:3-8
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may LIVE a new life.
If we have been united with him like this in his death we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also LIVE with him.”

You see: when we were baptized into Christ something changed within us.
We put to death the old body of sin.
We crucified our sinful past.
And we allowed our mortal bodies to be buried in a watery grave.

BUT it didn’t end there.
How many of you –when you were baptized came back up out of the water? Good thing! Cause otherwise you wouldn’t be sitting out there in the audience would you?
The Christian who buried us in that water - didn’t keep us there.
We were lifted back out of the water – RESURRECTED, if you will, from the dead.

You see, that’s the beauty of what God was trying to teach us.
In baptism, we’re not only burying the past – we’re being reminded of the fact that, when Jesus comes again, we will be resurrected from the earthly grave just like we were brought back from the watery one.

In that Biblically mandated action, God took out the old life-source. He removed the sin that had powered our lives up that point. It was like removing an old battery that was going to decay and die. And then He replaced it with a new battery… a new life source.

As God promised us back in Ezekiel 36:26 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”

What the rest of Romans 6 is trying to say is: “don’t try putting that old battery back in. Don’t try hooking up the battery of sinful past along with the new one God just gave you when you became a Christian.
Just like an iPod we aren’t designed to run on two different life sources. You’ve either got to hook yourself up to the sinful past, or the Godly future. You can’t do both.

Look again with me to Romans 6:12-13 and you’ll see what I’m saying:
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.”

Don’t put that old battery back in!
It may have seemed like it gave you power in the past
• it may have given a thrill to your existence
• it may seem like it gave music to your life
• AND it might have kept you entertained for a while
But after the thrill and the music and the entertainment died away all you were left with was a gnawing sense of disappointment/dissatisfaction.
That’s why you and I became a Christian to begin with. We wanted something better than what we had.

So don’t try to put back in that old battery.
Don’t go back and live that old life.

You went down into a watery grave and rose up a new creation… and this wasn’t of yourselves – it was a gift of God. Though you allowed yourself to be buried with Christ you didn’t create that new life that now exists within you. You didn’t personally put in that new battery … God did.

Now, there are people who don’t want God to do that.
They realize that their old way of life isn’t working, but they don’t want to give what life they have to God. They’d rather do it themselves. They’d rather be in charge.
But the new life they try to create will always disappoint.
Do you remember that guy that tried putting that off brand battery in his old iPod?
Do you remember what happened? That’s right, he broke the iPod!

But now, some folks might just manage to get it done.
Maybe they can put a new heart into their bodies.
They change their lifestyles, and they become better people.
But even that new heart - that new battery - that new lifestyle is still going to be inferior to the one God can give us. He’s the manufacturer. He knows what will work and what won’t. And any changes we make, while it may be an improvement over what has been in the past, will still be less than what God can do for us.

But there are many people (including Christians) who believe a falsehood.
You’ll hear all kinds of folks talking about how this person or that person will get into heaven because they were nice people.
Have you ever heard someone say that? Of course you have.
I mean, they didn’t curse or smoke or drink or fool around.
They gave to the poor.
They helped little old ladies across the street.

And so – even some Christians will think that “good people” will get into heaven… even if that person isn’t a Christian.

But the Bible tells me that can’t happen.
How can that which is mortal inherit immortality??
If all you have beating in your life is a really good mortal heart it could never last long enough in the courts of heaven. EVEN the best heart will decay and die.
In order for the mortal to inherit immortality, we need a far better life source than that.


At funerals I’ll often take a few moments to explain it this way:
When you go to a funeral, you’ll see the casket up front, and the pulpit for the preacher… and you’ll see something else? What?
That’s right flowers.
They’re all beautiful, and they’re all special gifts from people who wanted to show their love for the departed. They’re all beautiful… but there’s a basic difference between them.
• Some are cut flowers, arranged in a attractive bouquet.
• Others are potted plants.
About a week or so after the funeral, the cut flowers will begin to wither and die.
But for weeks, maybe years after the funeral – the potted plants will still be alive.
What’s the difference? (The potted plants have roots).

Both flower arrangements have a beautiful fruit… but only the potted plants have roots.
The roots are the source of life to the plant.
It’s the root – not the fruit - that determines if the plant will live.

So also, it’s the root – not the fruit - that determines if we will live forever with Christ.
When God gave you a new heart –He gave you a power source that will allow you to live forever.

One last thought.
There are those in this world who refuse to become Christians because they’re afraid of what they’ll have to give up. And they’re right. When you come to Christ, you surrender the past. You surrender your life to God because you realize you can’t do it on your own.

Whenever you send an iPod in to Apple you lose all the old music.
They send you a different refurbished iPod in your old one’s place. And even if they sent you the old one back, the music would be gone, because when they replace the battery, the music disappears. Then you have to put on new songs.

When you surrender yourself to God you surrender the old songs, God gives you a newer set of songs- songs that don’t depress you and don’t give you a feeling of sadness or shame. As David wrote in Psalm 40:3 “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”

Christian singing group Phillips, Craig and Dean say it this way in their song “Crucified With Christ”

“When I look back at what I thought was living
I’m amazed at the price I chose to pay
And to think I ignored what really mattered
‘Cause I thought the sacrifice would be too great
But when I finally reached the point of giving in
I found the cross was calling even then
And even though it took dying to survive
I’ve never felt so much alive

CHORUS: For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live
Not I but Christ that lives within me
His cross will never ask for more than I can give
For it’s not my strength but His
There’s no greater sacrifice
For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

REPRISE And I will offer all I have so that His cross is not in vain
For I’ve found to live - is Christ … and to die is truly gain. Life Love Faith Ministries

God Nurturing Love and Me

Sometimes the pressures and disappointments of daily life keep us from appreciating the small things in life, let alone the big gifts in life. These Gifts include health, our minds, and our spirits – in other words, our very lives. Yes, your life is a gift from GOD. That’s why self- nurturance is an expression of gratitude. When we take care of ourselves we show that we respect and value ourselves.

How do we nurture ourselves? Of all the blank spots we have, this one is often the most blank. If we’ve never seen, touched, tasted, or felt it, how can we know what nurturing is? Nurturing is an attitude towards ourselves and God – one of unconditional love and acceptance. I’m talking about loving ourselves so much and so hard that the good stuff created by GOD gets right to the core of us, then spills over into our lives and our relationships. I’m talking about loving God and ourselves no matter what happens or where we go.

www.lifelovefaith.com

Gods Love

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John the Word

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2The same was in the beginning with God.

3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Angels Dream

 

Angel Note,

I dreamed I went to heaven and you were with me,
We walked upon the streets of gold beside the crystal sea,
We heard the angels singing then someone called your name,
You turned and saw this young man and he was smiling as he came.

 

www.lifelovefaith.com