The One and the Ninety-nine

C.S. Lewis - "Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy".


The story of the "One and ninety-nine" is prompted by some disgruntled Pharisees and teachers of religious law, who complain because Jesus is associating with tax collectors and other notorious sinners, who have come to hear him teach. This story is found in the parable of the lost sheep in Romans 15:1-7. This is followed by the parable of the "Lost coin" (Luke 15:8-10) and the parable of the "Lost son" (Luke 15:11-32).


All three of these parables are meant to teach us how lost we are without God. The other day while praying and seeking God's will for our ministry, I accidentally started to drift off into a daydream. What I saw was other ministries, such as "Joyce Meyers" and "Billy Graham" reaching so many for Christ, while OMIA reaches so few. I started to feel a little hopeless and useless as I thought, "Does our ministry even have value?"......RRRRRRT (this is the sound of my brain brakes). I immediately started to pray and listen for God's truth. Two verses came to mind, and although I didn't know their address, I quickly clicked on Biblegateway.com.


The first is 2 Corinthians 10:5 "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," which reminded me to take these negative thoughts captive.


The second, was Luke 15:7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! This piece of truth reminded me that it is not about how many people we reach, but that we are lost without a daily, moment by moment relationship with God. We also must remember that God works his will through our willing obedience. We don't move mountains, He does. 


I am so thankful that God left the ninety-nine to come for me and I am learning that my only happiness comes from living for Him.


With much love, Collette

Salt

When I think of salt and the bible the “If salt loses it saltiness, how can it be made salty again” verse always comes to mind, but there are other verses that I did not realize were in the bible. I’ll get back to that in a minute.

While driving cross country from Colorado to Oregon we took the route that went right through the Great Salt Flats. Shelby had her permit so I let her drive, for what seemed like 1,000 miles on the straightest highway I’ve ever seen. It was also pure white and except for the occasional salt factory, I couldn’t help thinking about how useless it seemed.

Recently I read a magazine article entitled “10 brilliant uses for salt”. The uses ranged from “keeping car windows frost-free” to “chilling warm canned drinks in a hurry”. What fascinates me though is that I didn’t know you could do all that with salt.

I thought about the ocean and how we cannot drink the water, but how many mammals do just fine there.

The Bible seems to contrast salt as good and bad in Mark 9:50 (NIV) “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” In contrast, Psalm 107:34 says, “and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there”.

According to Wikipedia: The role of salt in the bible, is relevant to understanding Hebrew society during the Old Testament and New Testament periods. Salt is a necessity of life and was a mineral that was used since ancient times in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, and as a unit of exchange. The Bible contains numerous references to salt. In various contexts, it is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification. Also it says, Mark 9:50 reads in part: "Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." The salt in this verse refers to the goodwill that "seasons" positive relationships between people. This is also a play on the covenant of salt, indicating friendship and compassion.

 In conclusion, I realized that every element God made, is for our good and salt is no exception!

Fear and Wisdom

Have you ever gotten an “F” on a test? I always have this fear right before a test that I will flunk it! This fear usually motivates me to study hard. It can also cause me to be paralyzed or “go blank”. I learned during college that if I just found a window and looked out, while taking a few deep breaths, and realized, through prayer, that this is not the end of the world, that I could became calm and focused.

So what is the fear of the Lord and how is it different from our everyday fears such as test taking?

I believe that fear of the Lord involves awe, reverence and even sometimes terror. I think of awe as looking at all God created and being speechless. I believe terror exists before we know the Lord and before we know how much He loves us. Reverence keeps me saying, “Is what I’m going to do or is my decision going to bring glory to God or is it sin?”

Recently, I have been praying for wisdom and a verse kept popping into my mind. What I found, while looking it up is, that there are several verses with that relate to fear and wisdom, but my favorite is Psalm 111:10 (NLT) “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!”

The reason I was asking for wisdom from God was multi-purposed. First, I don’t always understand the Bible. Look at Romans 3:19-31 for an example of what I don’t understand! Second, I like all Christians, have been called by God to share His Good News with those around me. This is an awesome task that I feel ill-prepared for. So I ask God to give me his Holy Spirit to guide me and words to speak. Third, I do sin and I don’t like it! (Thank god He sent His son so that I would have forgiveness).

In a sermon I heard recently the speaker pointed out that Solomon (the wisest king who ever lived) did not ask for wisdom for his own personal gain, but so that he could make wise decisions for the people of his kingdom. God answered Solomon’s prayer for wisdom and also made him the most prospered king who ever lived. See 1 Kings 3:7-13.

Just this morning I heard “Amazing Grace”, and one of the verses is: “T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved.” To me, grace is undeserved favor. Amen.

I also know that fear of the Lord is not fear of the world. I don’t choose to live in fear anymore. And by God’s grace, my fears are relieved. I do, however, choose the fear of the Lord, which gives wisdom.

Dear Lord,

You are amazing and I am in awe of you. All praise and glory be to you. Thank you Lord for your underserved favor. Show me how to live in fear of You and in faith. I pray for others who are struggling with fear, Lord wrap your loving arms around them.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

My Mind, His Will, My Emotions!

Over the church, in the silence that followed this strange scene, sobs and the noise of weeping arose. When had the First Church yielded to such a baptism of tears? What had become of its regular, precise, conventional order of service, undisturbed by any vulgar emotion and unmoved by any foolish excitement? But the people had lately had their deepest convictions touched. They had been living so long on their surface feelings that they had almost forgotten the deeper wells of life. Now that they had broken the surface, the people were convicted of the meaning of their discipleship. – In His Steps

I have recently found myself, having less control of my emotions. The two emotions I have the most trouble controlling are anger and tears. I have also come to realize that tears are not a sign of weakness, and anger is a valid emotion if used correctly.

When I think about my kids and grandkids and see them going through struggles, I cry. I also pray to God and in His mercy, He shows me how He feels about every single one of His children.

When I see people’s lives ruined by alcohol, drugs, violence and other things it makes me angry. Not angry at them, but at what has become of them. Thank God that he also shows me those same people as saved and made whole, when they come to Him. The good news is that God uses all the bad choices we make, for His good purpose when we come to Him. Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I am a firm believer that you cannot serve God and yourself (the world, money, etc.). You have to choose one or the other. When you choose to serve God, he starts to grow you into the person He meant you to be. This is also a choice to surrender your will. Matthew 6:24 (NIV) No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

So where does the Mind, Will and Emotions come in? Our minds are able to memorize a crazy big number of things per second and that’s with most of us using less than 10% of our brain!   So what we fill our minds with is very important. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. The Bible tells us how to think. When we fill our minds with the right thoughts, then we need to act on them through purposeful utilization of our will, and our emotions will follow. The above excerpt from In His Steps shows that it is appropriate to have emotions (God created emotions). When we keep our emotions all bottled up inside we become like robots, just going through the motions, but not feeling anything.

I woke up this morning excited! Not because, I won the lottery or because everything is going my way (we are facing some very difficult struggles right now), but because I’m alive and 2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV) says, For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Also, God loves me and His desire is for me to be whole and purposeful and joyful Psalm 28:7 (NIV) The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

There is so much more I could say about emotions, but I think what is really important to remember, is that when our Mind (thoughts) and Will (the act or process of using or asserting one's choice - dictionary.com) line up with God, our Emotions (joy, sorrow, fear, anger, love, etc.) will follow.

With the greatest emotion being love…

Heresy and the Church

Heresy and the Church

While beginning to read Colossians in my NLT Bible, I noticed a table entitled “The Colossian Heresy” and I am including it above.

First I want to define “heresy” and then the word “asceticism” so that we/I will have a better understanding.

Heresy, in this context, is defined by dictionary.com as:

1. Opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, esp. of a church or religious system.

2. The maintaining of such an opinion or doctrine.

3. Roman Catholic Church. The willful and persistent rejection of any article of faith by a baptized member of the church.

4. Any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs, customs, etc.

The Bible Dictionary defines “heresy” as:

From a Greek word signifying (1) a choice, (2) the opinion chosen, and (3) the sect holding the opinion. In the Acts of the Apostles (5:17; 15:5; 24:5, 14; 26:5) it denotes a sect, without reference to its character. Elsewhere, however, in the New Testament it has a different meaning attached to it. Paul ranks "heresies" with crimes and seditions (Gal. 5:20). This word also denotes divisions or schisms in the church (1 Cor. 11:19). In Titus 3:10 a "heretical person" is doctrines not emanating from God (2 Pet. 2:1).

My definition then is: an opinion that is not from God.

As for “asceticism” which is used in the above table, its definition according to dictionary.com is;

1. The manner of life, practices, or principles of an ascetic.

2. The doctrine that a person can attain a high spiritual and moral state by practicing self-denial, self-mortification, and the like.

3. Rigorous self-denial; extreme abstinence; austerity

I believe number 2 above, is the best definition as it relates to the table above.

So after defining these words and looking at the table again, I realize that heresies (opinions that are not from God) are alive and well in churches today, just as they were 2000 years ago.

Some examples are; the following of rituals in certain churches, when we now have Christ as our Savior. Another would be the belief by some churches, that Jesus is not God. Yet another example is not a church at all, but a book entitled, “The Secret” which states that we must have a secret knowledge in order to be perfect. Another example of modern-day heresy is combining of religions for mutual benefit. Some churches have allowed false doctrines into their churches because of pressure to conform to the world’s views. An example would be a Christian bible-believing church allowing another non-christian religion to use their facilities for meeting. These are just a few of the examples.

In conclusion, I believe we must review “Paul’s Answers” above, because they are God’s Answer’s to “the opinion’s that are not from God” and we must stand firm using the full armor of God, which includes the Word of God as truth.

Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV) 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

May the shed blood of Jesus, remind us that we do nothing to deserve salvation and can do nothing to earn it. In Jesus Name, Amen.

LUnity

LUnity, not to be confused with lunatic! According to Dictionary.com there is no definition for lunity.


This word came to me as I was praying and wondering why more Christians don't pursue unity. I thought, they must not realize, just how important unity is to God, or how Satan uses disunity and division to keep the body of Christ from being truly effective in furthering the Kingdom of God.


Colossians 3:14 (NIV) "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity".


So my definition of LUnity? Simple, "To love unity" or 'the love of unity". Maybe even a "lunatic (crazy) love of unity"?


I joke a lot, but that does not mean that I am not serious. Do not be deceived, you and I are in a battle. Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy us. This is not to be taken lightly or pushed aside by the busyness or business of living life. Where do you think busyness comes from? God? Dear Lord, Please fill me with joy and peace and a little more busyness, Amen....Not!


My favorite verse to counteract busyness is: Psalm 46:10 (NIV) "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."


The way to love unity? Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you". Do this by praying and reading what the Word of God says about unity, busyness and the battle.


We are instructed to resist the devil and to put on the full armor of God. See: James 4:7 and Ephesians 6:13.


Dear Lord Jesus, I am hungering for you like never before. I will seek you first and submit to you. My decision is to love you and to pursue unity. Thank you for giving me the strength for the journey and discernment to see what is important to you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Spiritual Growth through Trials

Many Christians try to struggle through life’s trials by themselves and exclude God from the picture right when they need Him the most. We go through life, carrying God around in a box taking Him out only when we want to have our own selfish desires fulfilled. 

During these trials we forget to lean on our Great Creator and we start worrying about little things that our Great Provider has already taken care of. Later we wonder where the heck God was during this whole thing.

Don’t get me wrong. He was definitely there trying to help you, not just to get you through this rough patch in life physically, but to help you grow spiritually. He wants you to grow with Him and to bring your relationship into a new kind of intimacy and greater understanding for His will.

Listen to me here. God wants you to grow into a greater spiritual maturity. All you have to do is allow Him to mold you. Many people ask…. “Well if God is so powerful then why did He let this happen to me in the first place?” God did not just let this happen. God “Allowed” it to happen for a specific purpose. He is molding you for a reason that will make you experienced for something that will later be needed in your spiritual journey.

God never said that this journey was going to be easy. You will face many challenges and you will be persecuted for your beliefs. You will fail and you will fall, but guess what. God will always be there to pick you back up, to comfort you, to cry your tears, and to set you back on to the path of righteousness once again.

There are many trials in life and there will be many more challenges to come. The question is will you let God in and allow Him to grow you spiritually. Will you be one of those so called “Christians”, who merely goes through the motions or will you learn from these trialing experiences, and cling to them so that you can later glorify Him.

I challenge you as you go through these trials to allow this spiritual growth. Whether it’s being bullied at school, going through a miscarriage, dealing with pressure at work, or having something completely destroy your home. Whatever you go through I challenge you to ask for this spiritual growth, for when you do…you get taken to a whole new level of spiritual intimacy. 

Trust me, you won’t regret it.

By Evan Hall

American Idol

You know what’s crazy? I didn’t really think about the word “Idol” in American Idol as being an idol!

I looked up the word “idol” online and guess what came up? American Idol, the official site. Don’t get me wrong, I watched the show a couple of weeks ago and had a good laugh, but why are so many people obsessed with becoming an idol and why do we spend so much time watching them instead of living our own lives?

So then I looked up the “definition of idol” online and the first thing listed was “Become a Clergyman” and the next was “Statues of Hindu Gods”. Below this were four definitions by dictionary.com:

1. An image or representation of anything.

2. An image of a divinity; a representation or symbol of a deity or any other being or thing, made or used as an object of worship; a similitude of a false god.

3. That on which the affections are strongly (often excessively) set; an object of passionate devotion; a person or thing greatly loved or adored.

4. A false notion or conception; a fallacy.


The first two definitions seem self-explanatory. We think of idols as statues made of wood or stone, but in reality an idol is anything natural that is given value or power. And the third seems to describe our obsession with American Idol. Now comes the conviction and yes I am…You are what? I am convicted and convinced that we need to put the brakes on some things in our lives which are considered idols.

Ok so here’s the Litmus Test and for this blog I am not talking about addictions such as caffeine or food. What I’m getting at is what we fill our minds with. Can you not watch your favorite show this week? Or any TV for a week.

Genesis 3:4-5 describes one of Satan’s first tricks, “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

Why does Satan tempt us? Temptation is Satan’s way of trying to get you to live his kind of life instead of the one God has for you. How can we resist? First we must pray. Next we must run. And last we must say no to what may look good on the outside but has no value on the inside. What value does American Idol have for me? None!!!

At this point I feel guilty…and I believe guilt is a warning sign that God has placed in us to let us know when we’ve done something wrong. Not condemnation! But I’m glad for the guilt so that I can start to head in the right direction.

I am currently curtailing most TV watching and increasing the time I spend developing my relationship with God. It is good!

One more thought! Who are we letting watch our children? And what are our children watching? An Idol?

By Collette Uhler

Prayer Solutions

Galatians 6:9-10 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

We have learned that praying God’s Word and claiming God’s promises is one of the most important solutions to any problem or obstacle that we face.

In Doing for God Instead of Being with God by Pete Scazzero says, “Being productive and getting things done are high priorities in our Western culture. Praying and enjoying God's presence for no other reason than to delight in him was a luxury, I was told, that we could take pleasure in once we got to heaven. For now, there was too much to be done. Are all these things wrong? No. But work for God that is not nourished by a deep interior life with God will eventually be contaminated by other things such as ego, power, approval of and from others, and buying into the wrong ideas of success and the mistaken belief that we can't fail. When we work for God because of these things, our experience of the gospel often falls off center. We become "human doings" not "human beings." Our experiential sense of worth and validation gradually shifts from God's unconditional love for us in Christ to our works and performance. The joy of Christ gradually disappears. Our activity for God can only properly flow from a life with God. We cannot give what we do not possess.”

He also says we live cannot live without limits. “The core spiritual issue here relates to our limits and our humanity. We are not God. We cannot serve every one in need. We are human. Jesus modeled this for us as a human being—fully God yet fully human. He did not heal every sick person in Palestine. He did not raise every dead person. He did not feed all the hungry beggars or set up job development centers for the poor of Jerusalem. He didn't do it, and we shouldn't feel we have to. But somehow we do. Why don't we take appropriate care of ourselves? Why are so many Christians, along with the rest of our culture, frantic, exhausted, overloaded, and hurried?

Few Christians make the connection between love of self and love of others. Sadly, many believe that taking care of themselves is a sin, a "psychologizing" of the gospel taken from our self-centered culture. I believed that myself for years. It is true we are called to consider others more important than ourselves (see Philippians 2:4). We are called to lay down our lives for others (see 1 John 3:16). But remember, you first need a "self" to lay down.”

Gary, Shelby and I were on the brink of collapse when we arrived at our first stop in Maine last September. As a solution God gave us rest and renewal. We stopped doing and started praying and listening for God’s voice. We let go of the busyness which, by the way, is hard to do! We started to search the Word which was like water for our thirsty souls.

In his sermon, entitled UNITY IN THE CHURCH Dr. Neil Chadwich says, The time has come for every member of the church to demonstrate a willingness to lay aside personal opinion and take up divine purpose, to submit individual wants to God's will...If we don't like the way things are going, do we think we can change it by sheer force of our will, or through social pressure, or by complaining? I don't think so. Why? Because when change is called for, in the church it always involves people - fallen people like us. What is need is a change of heart, and that only comes through prayer. "Prayer Changes People."

Are we willing to lay aside our plans? Our will for His Kingdom? We have learned that His plans are so much better than ours.

When we first arrived in Maine, last September, we had plans to reach out to a lost and dying church. We prayed and asked God to show us which one. What He showed us instead was that we were the lost and dying church!

In The Praying Church By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir he says, “When we desire to have a church that is after God’s purpose then prayer will be at the heart and core of it. The church cannot function without prayer. To have a church that does not pray is like having a telephone operator who refuses to use the phone or the computer programmer not using a computer in their occupations.”

Prayer is our communication with God. If we do not communicate with God, we don’t know whether what we are doing is for God and we don’t have a clue as to His plan. Prayer will enable us to be transformed to do the task that we cannot possibly do on our own or collectively as a church. We do not have the strength, knowledge, or ability to do squat for our Lord, but through prayer we can do all things that He is willing for us to do, beyond our imagination!

“We have a God who elected to choose us and selected us for a purpose, and one of the primary calls is for us to be in touch with our Creator and loving Lord. His power flowing through the universe is available for us to use if we choose to trust and obey, according to His will. Can you imagine the awesome nature of our Lord? Can you fathom the power that is at our hands? Can you see the potential you have and the plan that God has for you? Or are you to busy watching TV and no time to tap into the power at hand, the power that goes beyond any human means or adventure? We can do beyond what we are capable of as God is working through us. We are capable of much more than you can possibly imagine when we are people surrendered through prayer, through what He allows according to His purpose. So do you get it? Are you ready to have a church transformed to do what a church is actually for, what the foundation was poured for, and poured out for?” (The Praying Church By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir)

Good Questions! Are you ready to pray?

Obstacles to Unity

Here is a partial list. Feel free to add more!

1. Church Division and Hyperdenominationalism

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 discusses divisions in the church, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another ...Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 7For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

2. Doubt

What makes you think it will be any different this time? How can we come together in unity when we have so many differences of opinion?

The enemy loves to flood us with doubt when we try to be faithful in serving God. God may have shown us a mission that seems like "Mission Impossible" given our present resources. We have to remember that God is with us and will help us tackle God-sized missions.

The power of doubt is based on the lies involved. Satan will tell us many things in attempt to get us to doubt. He'll say things like: "God will not help you", "You didn't hear God correctly", "God has given up on you" or "God is punishing you".

In order to stave off an impending "storm of doubt," we must call to mind the truth about whatever lies we're being tempted to believe. Here are possible verses you could use to refute the above lies: Psalm 5:12, Philippians 4:19, John 10:27 and Proverbs 3:5-7 to name a few.

3. Satan does not want UNITY

In What Can Kill a Church a lesson by Gary Henry he says, four things can jeopardize any congregation of God’s people.

Persecution – Rev. 2:9-10, 1 Peter 5:8-9, 1 Peter 4:12. 

False teaching – Rev. 2:2, 6, 13-15, Acts 20:29-30. 

Worldliness – 1 John 2:15-17, Luke 8:14. 

Indifference - Rev 2:4, Prov. 18:9

And these are just some of the verses!

4. Selfish Ambition

In Philippians 2:3 it says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

Human nature is to live to please ourselves. Our goals in life will reflect what we are living for and ultimately who is controlling our lives. If we are living to please ourselves instead of God, then we must take action to bring our will into submission to God's will. This should be part of our daily "dying to sin" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:31 and 1 Peter 2:24.

I would also include worry about others stealing your flock, your pulpit or the churches money. Of course you must be wise in your dealings and know that Satan is trying to steal from you but trust God. He can fill your churches and supply all your needs.

5. Doctrinal Differences

Ok, so here is where I jump off into the deep murky waters…I’m not going to argue, I believe Satan uses this more than almost anything else to deceive us. The only truth is the Word of God. At this point I’m sure some will lead out about deciphering the Bible, then there will be a theological discussion about who’s Bible is more correct, then about what Jesus’ hair color was and then…

There were more than 4 million sites on the web regarding doctrine, so what can I say? If you believe in one God and believe that his son Jesus died for your sins. As Emeril says, “Bam”. Put aside your differences, you serve the same God. John 3:16

Remember Satan wants to divide and conquer. Romans 8:37 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

6. Inwardly Focused

A church can quickly become inwardly focused. In the Essential Church by Thom and Sam Rainer it says, “…all one has to do is look at the ministries and programs. What can be quickly discovered is that most churches build ministries to satisfy the already fed. These programs are good to keep the flock happy. Not necessarily a bad thing, but too much of a good thing ends up being a bad thing.”

Are we reaching a lost and dying world with hope and encouragement?

7. Idolatry

This subject is so important that God has asked me to write a whole blog focusing on the idolatry entitled “American Idol”. I really want to pick apart what we may not even see as idols in our lives. Look for it soon.

You may think this is absent from today’s Church, but it is very alive. Beloved programs, versions of the Bible, furniture, paintings on the wall and the placement of objects have caused more quarrels than I care to mention. We have taken these items to god-like levels in the church and forgotten the main thing. [from Essential Church by Thom and Sam Rainer]

Judging another's Spiritual Maturity

Judging another’s Spiritual Maturity

Based on where we think we are spiritually, whether a new Christian or the pastor of a large church, we may deceive ourselves and either believe we have nothing to share or nothing to learn from those less mature than us. This may lead to an inability to receive from an “ordinary” less mature person.

Think about a two year old you know…. Can they teach you something? My grandson Connor, who is almost two, taught me something yesterday. He was running around a restaurant like a crazy person, displaying his independence. When his dad tried to get him to come back to the table he screamed, “NOOOOO”. I thought about my own life and how I sometimes run around like a crazy person, and when God tries to get hold of me, I rebel!

Recently, while visiting a new church, a pastor asked me, “Why would God choose you to go out on mission when you don’t have a strong Bible knowledge?” Well, I could have felt insulted or said to myself (which I did), “Maybe I need a Bachelor’s in Theology or Religion”. Or I could have felt inadequate (which I did) but then two seconds later God shook me and I replied to the pastor, “God chose me because I was willing and available.

You see, two years ago when God called Gary, Collette and Shelby Uhler, we answered. We agreed to give up everything and sacrifice our own lives. Why? Because God gave us a vision and showed us that something is desperately wrong in some of the churches in America. I could write a whole blog on that subject but let’s get back on point.

Have you ever seen the cartoon, “Pinky and the Brain”? Let me give you my interpretation of the characters. The Brain is always trying to take over the world using his own plan and Pinky is following him around, with a smirk on his face, as if to say, “That will never work!”

So how do we overcome the “Pinky and the Brain” syndrome? Or the opposite “I’m too spiritually young and immature to share anything of value” syndrome? First, we must stop running around like a crazy person, trying to take over the world for God. We must follow Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." We also must have faith and believe God’s Word which says, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’" Mathew 19:26 (NIV)

And lastly, we must be open to hearing from God through many different sources including our two year old grandson.

Fat free or Guilt free?

It’s funny that most of you probably thought I was going to go all spiritual on you. In the case of fat free I’m actually talking about food.

First, we must devour a few facts and opinions. A play on words!

The chemistry of fat

•  Fats are large molecules made up of elements - Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen

• Due to such a molecular arrangement, fat contains more energy storing    carbon hydrogen bonds than carbohydrate

• Our body converts all the excess sugar taken through' diet into fat

Dietary FATs are good to us:
 

• It provides greatest energy source per gram of food give details 1gm of oil gives 9 calories.

• Fat acts as an insulator and thus maintains body temperature. This is particularly important for people living in cold or extreme cold climates.
  

• Fat improves the taste, aroma, texture of the food and also helps in digestion.

• Fat provide essential fatty acids. Human body does not manufacture these.

• Fat protects internal organs from shock and injury.

• Good FAT and Essential Fatty Acids consumed in right proportions give good impact on human health.

• We can eat at a mixture of nuts (like walnut, soybean, pine nut, sunflower seeds to name a few) a quarter of a cup and 3-4 times in week to get essential fatty acids.

Source: Nandini Thogarapalli. a grade four student at Dr. E.W. Coffin School,Calgary, AB



The chemistry of guilt
 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Guilt is a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes - accurately or not - that they have violated a moral standard, and is responsible for that violation. (1) It is closely related to the concept of remorse.
 

Genesis 3:7-10 (NIV)
 
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
 
Above excerpt from Biblegateway.com

After sinning, Adam and Eve felt guilt and embarrassment over their nakedness. Their guilty feelings made them try to hide from God. A guilty conscience is a warning sign God placed inside you that goes off when you’ve done wrong. The worst step you can take is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause. That would be like using a painkiller but not treating the disease. Be glad those guilty feelings are there. They make you aware of your sin so you can ask God’s forgiveness and then correct your wrongdoing.

Application note, Life Application Study Bible, Genesis 3:7, 8.


Now it’s time to digest. So fat and guilt can both be good for you. If the question were posed to me prior to reading this I would have definitely picked “guilt free” but now I’ve changed my mind. I choose “Guilty, but forgiven”. 

Amen