A few months ago our oldest son Joshua went to Africa on a mission trip. This past week I had to opportunity to attend Springcreek Church in Garland where he is a staff pastor and hear as they shared their experiences of what took place on this trip. Before World Vision started going to this particular location the people were in very poor health. What was taking place is they were drinking the water from the streams and the streams were contaminated. The children in Kitito Africa were missing school extremely often thus causing them to struggle with their grades.
Springcreek church linked with World Vision a couple years ago and started a project to the people in Kitito. As they surveyed the area they noticed the great need for clean water. After some planning, it was decided that the water would be placed at the school since the school was the central location of the towns people. They moved in a very large tank and a way to purify the water and set up the piping so that everyone in that area could access clean drinking water.
The individuals that helped in this project probably received as much excitement and joy as the people in Kitito. It was such a blessing to see people with extreme joy in spite of thier bad living conditions. These people do not have all the things we call luxuries. It's easy to see when we compare ourselves to them that we have let all of these wonderful things bog us down. The very things we thought would bring us joy actually causes stress thus robbing us of our joy. The individuals that went to Africa found they had a greater passion within their hearts to do more. This church is now sponsoring close to 1,000 children. They are able to write to these children, send and receive photo’s and be an encourament to them. Many of the sponors are able to take a trip to Africa to meet their sponsor child which only enhances the bond between them.
The key thing that stuck out in my mind listening to the group share their experience was that after the water well began to supply fresh water to this village something awesome took place. The children that attended the school started attending more regular. The grades of the students improved and they became much healthier than the other children not attending. What ended up taking place is the parents in the village seen the improvement and began to desire that their children attend the same school. Thus being a tool in order to reach the whole community and be a witness and testimony to them.
Jesus being the living water has done the same thing in our lives. The moment the blood began to flow from his side as he hung upon the cross was the moment that our lives could be changed forever. No longer bound down to drinking from the well of satan but able to run to the fountain. Those who drink from this fountain are able to live forever. They are filled with wisdom and knowledge. The world will be able to see the difference this water makes in your life. We must keep a steady diet of this water and not turn back to the old water filled with contamination.
What a blessing they received as they showed compassion to these families in Africa. Compassion can change your life at the same moment it is changing the lives of those receiving it. If you don’t believe this, travel to Garland, Texas and visit with the team at Springcreek Church and let then share with you what compassion has done in their lives.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
COMPASSION
We can guage who we are by this one word. Seriously, I think this one word can define your whole being. Look at the word closely. We are going to break it down into three parts. God the Father being the first part, Jesus Chrust being the second part and the Holy Spirit being the last part. We are complete when we have the three parts. Thus able to show true compassion to others.
Let's first look at the first part of the word being our compass COMPASSion. God is our navagation tool and we need to set our compass on him. The direction of our lives is one of the most important things. It will determine what job you have, the mate you marry, your financial outcome. The direction you set your compass on will effect all of your life on the earth and it will affect your eternity. Ways to test and see if your compass is set in the right direction is to see if these are your traits. If so, you need to change your direction, use the compass to direct your path
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocabulary
3. Loss of your origan
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behaviour
6. Depression or confussion
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion
There is only one way to free oneself from this path and that is to look to God, "our compass". God will always point mankind to Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Pass in "comPASSionn". In Colorado there is a location called Wolf Creek Pass. Pagosa Springs is on one side of the pass and as you travel across the pass there is a line. This line is called the continental divide. South Fork is on the other side of the mountain. There is only one way to get from Pagosa Springs to South Fork and that is to use the pass. The same is true in our lives. God is on one side and we are on the other. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that cross is the bridge that we must cross over in order to get to the Father. Let Jesus be your pass.
The Holy Spirit being our guide and the one that leads us to fulfillment of the last part of the word Passion, "comPASSION". Without the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are still incomplete. We can believe in God, know that Jesus is the bridge between right and wrong, and still not be able to reach our goal. The first two words is a noun and can be head knowledge, whereas the last is a verb - showing action. We will not have true compassion unless we allow the Holy Spirit to live and move within our being.
You show me a person that has no compassion and you will also be showing me a person who doesn't have the fruits of the spirit. You show me a person that has compassion and you will also be showing me a person that demonstates the friut of the spirit. This is something I have spoken and taught on so many times. Continuely leading others to have love, joy, peace, & self control when what I should have been teaching them is how to have compassion.
Here is a list of the fruit of the spirit. Compare this list to compassion and see if you don't agree that if you have true genuine compassion for someone you will also have the friut of the spirit within your life.
1. Joy
2. Peace
3. Patience
4. Kindness
5. Goodness
6. Faithfulness
7. Gentleness
8. Self Control
This portion of the scripture shows us how God the Father, Jesus Chirst and the Holy Spirit show compassion toward us.
I Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. {is effectual: or, is wrought}
7 ¶ And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Need verses to go with this
1. God our Compass - Psalms 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
2. Jesus our Pass - John 14:6 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
3. Holy Spirit our Passion - The Holy spirit is the one that creates the Passion of God within us.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
I Cor 2:10
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Without God leading us, Jesus Christ provideing the way and the Holy Spirit woeing us and giving us a passion, we aren't fully able to help others the way we should,
Let's first look at the first part of the word being our compass COMPASSion. God is our navagation tool and we need to set our compass on him. The direction of our lives is one of the most important things. It will determine what job you have, the mate you marry, your financial outcome. The direction you set your compass on will effect all of your life on the earth and it will affect your eternity. Ways to test and see if your compass is set in the right direction is to see if these are your traits. If so, you need to change your direction, use the compass to direct your path
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocabulary
3. Loss of your origan
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behaviour
6. Depression or confussion
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion
There is only one way to free oneself from this path and that is to look to God, "our compass". God will always point mankind to Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Pass in "comPASSionn". In Colorado there is a location called Wolf Creek Pass. Pagosa Springs is on one side of the pass and as you travel across the pass there is a line. This line is called the continental divide. South Fork is on the other side of the mountain. There is only one way to get from Pagosa Springs to South Fork and that is to use the pass. The same is true in our lives. God is on one side and we are on the other. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that cross is the bridge that we must cross over in order to get to the Father. Let Jesus be your pass.
The Holy Spirit being our guide and the one that leads us to fulfillment of the last part of the word Passion, "comPASSION". Without the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are still incomplete. We can believe in God, know that Jesus is the bridge between right and wrong, and still not be able to reach our goal. The first two words is a noun and can be head knowledge, whereas the last is a verb - showing action. We will not have true compassion unless we allow the Holy Spirit to live and move within our being.
You show me a person that has no compassion and you will also be showing me a person who doesn't have the fruits of the spirit. You show me a person that has compassion and you will also be showing me a person that demonstates the friut of the spirit. This is something I have spoken and taught on so many times. Continuely leading others to have love, joy, peace, & self control when what I should have been teaching them is how to have compassion.
Here is a list of the fruit of the spirit. Compare this list to compassion and see if you don't agree that if you have true genuine compassion for someone you will also have the friut of the spirit within your life.
1. Joy
2. Peace
3. Patience
4. Kindness
5. Goodness
6. Faithfulness
7. Gentleness
8. Self Control
This portion of the scripture shows us how God the Father, Jesus Chirst and the Holy Spirit show compassion toward us.
I Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. {is effectual: or, is wrought}
7 ¶ And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Need verses to go with this
1. God our Compass - Psalms 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
2. Jesus our Pass - John 14:6 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
3. Holy Spirit our Passion - The Holy spirit is the one that creates the Passion of God within us.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
I Cor 2:10
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Without God leading us, Jesus Christ provideing the way and the Holy Spirit woeing us and giving us a passion, we aren't fully able to help others the way we should,
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
STRESSED IS DESSERTS SPELLED BACKWARDS
Life is much about the way you view it. Life can seem upside down sometimes. The Lord desired that our lives be more DESSERTS than STRESSED; but mankind always tends to even make good things cause stress.
Remembering back on being a very small child in Tennessee. It seemed like it rained once or twice every week. Sometimes the sun would be shinning through the trees and there would be a cloud move over and stop for about 15 minutes and deliver the most wonderful calm shower. The grass was always green and seemed like there were little mud puddles outside our house quite often.
This is just one of the many lovely things about Tennessee and Alabama; the gentle rain that moves across the land, as quick as it appeared; it is gone. No grass burrs to get in your feet. Many people identify people from that land as hillbillies, barefoot and toothless. What a sight. The barefeet I do so relate to. The only way to get comfortable is to run around without shoes. Ah, so relaxing. If you try that in West Texas there are so many grass burrs that even in your own house you might end up stepping one of those evil things.
I love my memories of Tennessee and Alabama with my family. All mothers can identify with this next paragraph. My mother had six children and a husband that was in every since of the word an outdoors man. Mom sometimes became STRESSED because the second she swept, mopped and waxed the floors, you could mark it down what was going to happen. The door would fly open and Tim would be running for his life. Why would he be running for his life? Because he loved to pick on his sister who happened to be me. All it took was one thing and the chase was on. This chase didn’t end until he was pinned onto the floor by the champion, none other than myself. Probably the reason that I won was because I was 3 years older. In my way of thinking, he started it and I’m going to finish it. Mom didn’t quite understand that concept and us being children, we didn’t stop to ask, “Mom, did you just sweep the floor or mop it”? The chase was on and there were no time to ask questions. Thus leaving my mother “STRESSED” rightfully so. So with her newly swept and mopped floors she didn’t welcome the mud and the extra work.
The same mud that caused my mother to be STRESSED was the mud that caused extreme pleasure and delight to her wonderful precious children. Not everyone saw us through those eyes but I know we were. After all we sang the song, “Jesus Loves the Little Children All the Children of the World, Red, Brown Yellow, Black and White, they are precious in His sight. Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World”. Therefore, each one of her children fit into one of those categories so I know we were precious.
The mud that cause my mother to be STRESSED after a rain caused the three of us to look out the window with pure delight. It was time for Tim, Kay and myself to have an adventure. I know the same thing was true for my older brother and sisters, Melvin, Balinda, and Kathy only they were a bit older and probably past this stage in their life. After the thunder subsided and the rain stopped, barefooted and dishes in hand we set out on an adventure. It was time to make mud pies. We saw mud as DESSERTS. Never did it cross our mind that mud meant STRESSED until the switch hit our bottoms. To us it was pure delight. We made round mud pies, square mud pies, and double layered mud pies. There was no limit to what we could do with that mud. We often tried to share with our parents but they didn’t seem to think that the pies we make were eatable. Well I’m here to tell you, we thought they were great. We would taste each others pies and we believed that the world was yet to see what great cooks we were. We all see things through different eyes. This is just one example of how that DESSERTS can become STRESSED.
God created everything to be DESSERTS to us but the serpent desires that everything be totally reversed. God created music to glorify the Lord, satan continually gets people to change it to glorify himself and give no glory to the Lord. The average person listens to tons more secular music than he does Christian music. A lot of secular music promotes things such as, if it feels good do it. Whatever makes your flesh happy, then that is ok. So contrary to what God created us to do. He never created us to worship ourselves but to worship our creator. Our flesh shouldn’t control us, we should control our flesh. So obvious how that the serpent keeps whispering in our ears, “Hath God said this”. Obviously your Father doesn’t want you to have fun. Contrary, your Father knows this life style will cause you to be STRESSED and not to enjoy the Lord’s DESSERTS.
The Lord created our sexual drives and they were to be beautiful between man and woman. Satan has so perverted sex that we have become a totally mixed up society. Many people feel that we have the right to our own bodies. If we want to indulge in pornography or things that would lead us away from our own mate, then more power to us. To God he intended sex between a man and a woman to be DESSERT. Something of GREAT PLEASURE. Although we have more marriages ending because of the lie that satan has whispered in our ears. Satan has so perverted our nation with sexual advertisement and movies that instead of DESSERTS, sex has instead caused people to be STRESSED in their marriage to the point that divorces are taking place way too often.
The Lord created our need for food. I can just see some of the most wonderful ice cream sundaes in my image right now. Honestly ice cream has caused me to be as STRESSED and it has given me delight. One touch to the lips puts one inch on my hips. Ice Cream is like Lay’s potato chips, you can’t eat just one. I’ve tried very hard to eat just one spoonful of Ice Cream. I’m here to tell you that causes me to be even more STRESSED than if I go ahead and eat a bowl full. I can always justify it with, I will face the scales the tomorrow and then run a mile to work the pounds off. Although 5 years ago I injured my back and exercise has been limited to NONE. Therefore, weight loss has been NONE. So now when I have my DESSERTS I truly become STRESSED
Somedays I just want to use God’s telephone number, Jeremiah 33:3 and ask the Lord, “Could you please place us back in the Garden of Eden and allow us to live a life where we don’t become STRESSED. As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I realize that if it wasn’t Adam and Eve that listened to satan and his lies, it would have been me. There is only one way for us to live a life and not be STRESSED and that is to change our way of thinking. I’m with you on this one; that would be like parting the Red Sea. We just do not have the power within ourselves to do that. But we do serve a Saviour who can help us if we will only rely on him to do so.
The Lord created our mouths to speak praise and honor and glory to the Father but instead we spew out crude things, vulgar things, and things that glorify satan more than it does the Father who created our mouths. It’s easier to tame a lion than it is to tame our mouths and out of the abundance of the heart our mouths speak. Are you saying I need to change my heart? No, I’m saying that I need to change my heart! Our heart and soul affects our speech, our feet, our eyes, our hands, our tongue, and our ears. Many times I try to put a bandage on my toe when in reality I am in need of heart surgery. What I need is to ask the Lord to cleanse my heart. When he cleanses my heart and soul, which he promises to do, then immediately my hands, feet, mouth, ears and tongue will be clean. If I only wash my hands the rest of my body will not follow. The only way my body will follow is if for me to stop and clean my heart and soul.
Are you tied of being STRESSED when you should be having DESSERTS? Only you can make the change, nobody can do this for you.
Psalms 51:
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
In other words.
Give me DESSERTS O God and get rid of this feeling of being STRESSED
Don’t withold DESSERTS from me, please don’t take them away.
Give me DESSERTS and I will be happy and free
When I am happy and free I can teach others to have DESSERTS
and lead others to have a life filled with DESSERTS and then they will know you
I know this is a silly way of putting it, but after all isn’t that what this topic is all about? Are we not trying to look at things differently.
Friday, June 1, 2012
YOUR LIMITS EXIST ONLY IN YOUR MIND
What have we achieved in life? What goals have we set? What progress have we made in reaching those goals? He who sets no goals will always reach up to his own potential. Is this person truly satisfied with life?
There may be obstacles in life that appear as road blocks. Notice I said, “Appear as road blocks”. Most of the time these are not road blocks but obstacles. We can let this obstacle be our dwelling place or resting place.
It is plain to see that our limits exist only in our own minds. There was a boy named Matt, on the last day of school this year his class was involved in Track & Field. He ran the 400 meter race with his whole class. The coaches asked if he would like to sit out on this race. Shocked at his answer that he would run, there were probably some people looking on thinking, “why would he do this to himself?” We might put limits on Matt, but he didn’t limit himself. Matt has cerebral palsy and both feet are turned nearly completely inward. As he was a whole lap behind the rest of the class his coach joined him. He walked beside Matt as he struggled to make it to the finish line. Everyone else was done with the race. As they watched their coach join Matt in the race they also joined by walking with him and cheering Matt on to the finish line.
This is true also with Nick Vujicic. Nick was born with no arms and no legs. He has one short flipper for a leg. Many people would have thought it was a hindrance instead of a help. Nick had to learn at a very young age that his limits exist only in his mind. Nick has accomplished more than the average person in life. If you stood him up in front of one million people all of them would have written him an excuse notice. Yet Nick decided to write a success notice instead. I will set goals, I will fall down, I will get back up, I will fall down again but I will get back up and I will continue to get back up until I achieve the goal that I have set before me.
Romans 12:2
1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
This scripture is very important as we see the steps we need to take:
1. Get ready for the race – Present your bodies a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable unto the Lord
2. Don’t look around and see what everyone else is doing in the race – Be not conformed to this world
3. Don’t get haughty and proud - Think soberly
4. Realize there are others in the race – There are many members
5. Don’t forget to help others along the way – we are one body.
The real race isn’t that we receive the highest reward or prize but that we bring others along beside you. As Matt finished the race, he was the last person to cross the finish line, but Matt was “A Winner”. He did as the scripture says in Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark . He never gave up until he crossed the mark displaying the finish line.
How many believers in Christ do you know that say, “It’s too hard”, or “He doesn’t love me”, or “Look at all the bad things that have happened to me”. May you get a second wind in this race and be a Matt or a Nick You will never cross the finish line and know what things truly could be unless you finish the race.
There may be obstacles in life that appear as road blocks. Notice I said, “Appear as road blocks”. Most of the time these are not road blocks but obstacles. We can let this obstacle be our dwelling place or resting place.
It is plain to see that our limits exist only in our own minds. There was a boy named Matt, on the last day of school this year his class was involved in Track & Field. He ran the 400 meter race with his whole class. The coaches asked if he would like to sit out on this race. Shocked at his answer that he would run, there were probably some people looking on thinking, “why would he do this to himself?” We might put limits on Matt, but he didn’t limit himself. Matt has cerebral palsy and both feet are turned nearly completely inward. As he was a whole lap behind the rest of the class his coach joined him. He walked beside Matt as he struggled to make it to the finish line. Everyone else was done with the race. As they watched their coach join Matt in the race they also joined by walking with him and cheering Matt on to the finish line.
This is true also with Nick Vujicic. Nick was born with no arms and no legs. He has one short flipper for a leg. Many people would have thought it was a hindrance instead of a help. Nick had to learn at a very young age that his limits exist only in his mind. Nick has accomplished more than the average person in life. If you stood him up in front of one million people all of them would have written him an excuse notice. Yet Nick decided to write a success notice instead. I will set goals, I will fall down, I will get back up, I will fall down again but I will get back up and I will continue to get back up until I achieve the goal that I have set before me.
Romans 12:2
1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
This scripture is very important as we see the steps we need to take:
1. Get ready for the race – Present your bodies a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable unto the Lord
2. Don’t look around and see what everyone else is doing in the race – Be not conformed to this world
3. Don’t get haughty and proud - Think soberly
4. Realize there are others in the race – There are many members
5. Don’t forget to help others along the way – we are one body.
The real race isn’t that we receive the highest reward or prize but that we bring others along beside you. As Matt finished the race, he was the last person to cross the finish line, but Matt was “A Winner”. He did as the scripture says in Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark . He never gave up until he crossed the mark displaying the finish line.
How many believers in Christ do you know that say, “It’s too hard”, or “He doesn’t love me”, or “Look at all the bad things that have happened to me”. May you get a second wind in this race and be a Matt or a Nick You will never cross the finish line and know what things truly could be unless you finish the race.
“YOUR LIMITS EXIST ONLY IN YOUR MIND”
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