Resounding Gong Show

I have been learning so much lately about love. Isn't it awesome how the Lord teaches us? I started reading through 1 John not too long ago and one of the words that comes up again and again is, you guessed it, love. One of the books I am reading is "Moody on spiritual leadership" by Steve Miller. Can you guess what Miller says about the life of Moody? He says that Moody was known for his loving character. Everyone that knew Moody said the same thing about him. He was known as a very loving man! It's so important for us as Christians to love properly, to place our love in our Savior, to love others even our enemies. Just like Christ loved Judas! It is so easy sometimes to love this world, to love our money or our possessions. 1 john chapter 2:15-17 talks about love and where it should be placed , 15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1John 3:16-24 goes on to talk a little more about love. 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. The blessings of loving correctly are eternal. The curse of loving incorrectly are eternal too. I struggle so much with loving my neighbor. Would I die for them? I like to think so. Would I tell them about Christ? I need to. If I don't then I don't love them. If I don't I love me more. My flesh is so weak. Help me father to be more loving!

Ministering at the Ministry Center

If you are not familiar with the ministry center check out http://www.adirondackbible.org/ click on ministries and then ministry center. We have a youth group from Green Pond working at the ministry center this week. Last night I had the opportunity to go out to the ministry center with my pastor and spend some time with these young people and their leaders. It is awesome to see these kids so eager to work for their Lord. During the devo Pastor Ed asked the kids how they were doing. The answer he was looking for was "Better then I deserve!" How often do we look at our lives or the day we just had or an experience we are going through and think that we are not doing too well? Tough day at work? Kids driving you nuts? Husband or wife being unreasonable? Just hit your thumb with a hammer? How bad can it really be? Jesus loves you. He died for you. You have streets of gold waiting for you in heaven. How bad is it really? I say Much, Much better then I deserve! What do I deserve? Worse then a bad day! I deserve Hell, forever. How are you doing today?

Jesus and Judas

I have been slowly reading my way through "The Gospel According to Jesus" by John MacArthur. It is truly a blessing. I am at the point in the book now where Jesus is interacting with Judas at the last supper. Jesus says that there is someone at this table who is going to betray me. NONE of the other 11 know who Christ is talking about. That is amazing to me! Judas has spent the last 3 years of his life with these 11 men, yet they don't have a clue that he is apostate! Publicly Jesus treated Judas the same as He treated the other 11. Can you imagine? Jesus knew from the beginning it would be Judas, yet He treated him no differently. Talk about perfect love! I am sure that we have people in our churches very similar to Judas. I thank God that I don't know who they are or what they are capable of because it would be that much harder to love them, my love is far, far from perfect! I also thank God that I have a Savior who loves me perfectly! Amazing love how can it be that you my King would die for me!

Radical for Christ

I have heard the saying "Be radical for Christ" quite a few times recently from a couple of different sources the latest is from the Desiring God blog http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1289_the_advantages_of_providence/ . This post talks about Gods providence. He cares for us and He will provide for us. Do you believe it? Really believe it? Then why not be radical! Do you believe that our Heavenly Father has given us His best when He gave His Son to die for us? Do you believe that we have an eternity with that God who loves us so much? Do you believe that everything you have was given to you by our Lord? Prove it! Live it! I want you all to know that I am talking to myself here more then anything else! I am trying to prove it, live it. I am trying to give my best back to God. I am trying to be radical for Christ!

Adult Content (NOT!!)

I was wondering. The other day I was talking to one of my friends about blogging and mentioned that I wanted more people to visit my site. Well, I thought to myself, if the title was "XXX" or "adult content" or something to that effect my site would get many more hits! Isn't that sad? Sad to think that the men in our society are more enamored with naked woman then they are with our Creator! I would be willing to bet that is true for many "christian" men too! There were times in my life when I struggled with that sin and I think that if you asked any honest man they would admit that at one time or another they had the same struggle. It is very common. More common then anyone wants to admit! I was reading shortly after that on http://teampyro.blogspot.com/ and there are some great posts on this type of sin and how to deal with it. One of the things that they mention is the way women dress, even at church that can cause men to stumble. Please be careful ladies, help a brother out. It's hard enough this summer season with worldly women dressed the way they are, we should not have to deal with this problem at church too!

Adirondack Bible Chapel

I am so excited to see what God has in store for me and Adirondack Bible Chapel! This Sunday will mark a new beginning for me at ABC. I would like to thank everyone for their prayers as I struggled with this change in my life! I have so many godly friends that love me! I am so blessed! Thank you Jesus, I praise you. The more I get involved the more I see that there is more to be involved in! I pray for God's guidance and wisdom as I seek to find my place in this ministry. I have spent some time familiarizing myself with the ABC website http://www.adirondackbible.org/ . Check it out! Just a church being the church. What a foreign idea to the main stream churches of today! I went to prayer meeting Wednesday night, it was pretty close to a full house and guess what? We prayed! In a world where many churches don't pray any more its no wonder that folks fail to see the power of prayer! I got news for you. The same God who created this place we call earth and the universe around it is still in the business of answering prayer! It is my prayer that anyone reading this will be able to experience God at work in their lives and the lives of the people around them! I know for a fact that I am an answer to prayer! I praise God for the many people who are praying for me! Please don't stop! It is indeed exciting to watch God work and I look forward to seeing what He is going to do! John 16:24 says "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." I don't think that I know what complete joy is but I want it! John 14:14 says "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." This is not talking about asking for a car or a house, its talking about asking according to Gods will. Our will as Christians should be in accordance with Gods will as we seek to be like Jesus. He does answer our prayers! We just need to live our lives in such a manner that we are bringing glory to God.

Changes

Yesterday was a very hard day for me. Yesterday was the day that I let the cat out of the bag that I will be moving on to another church. It is a decision that I have prayed about for some time and one that I did not come to lightly. I am doing my best to lead a spirit filled life and I feel that God is calling me Adirondack Bible Chapel. I will be leaving a church that I love. A church that is growing and has meant so much to me over the past 5 or so years. I will be going back to a church that I also love. I know that my decision to leave NCBF will hurt some people, confuse others. I am deeply sorry to those that my leaving hurt. I feel terrible for my pastor whom I have spoken with on several occasions since the decision was made. I just pray that he truly understands why I made the decision that I did. It is not personal. I pray that he doesn't think any less of me. I praise God for the support I am receiving from folks at both churches. It is awesome to be a part of something bigger then ABC or NCBF. I am a part of Christs church. Thank you Jesus! I have to keep reminding myself to "Be joyful always", and to "Consider it pure joy". Please Father continue to draw all involved closer to you! That is my hearts cry.