Have you ever taken a risk? Would some consider you a risky individual? When I was about twelve or thirteen, may dad got the great idea that he was going to build a vacation cabin off in the woods of the northern panhandle of Nebraska. To do it on a small budget, he needed wood. An old house in our home-town of Valentine was about to be demolished and all of that wood was made available to him if he would do the dirty work of take it all out. I remember going over and helping dad tear everything up. (I think the other option was to let the local volunteer fire department burn it down for practice.)
One day, I was up on the second floor tearing out boards from over the roof of the porch. I don't know where the idea came from but I thought it would be cool to go out to the front edge and jump to the ground. It was quiting time anyway. So...being the brilliant young man that I was, I thought it was a good idea. I'm sure it wasn't nearly as high as it still seems in my mind today but I courageously went to the edge and performed my feet first aerial display. I landed with both feet on the ground, no broken bones or anything. However, I noticed a sharp pain in my right foot that was eminating from the nail sticking up through it. I mean allllll the way through it from bottom to top. Imagine the effort it takes and the pain you go through to pull your foot up off a long rusty nail. Now if that weren't risky enough, since I was afraid of needles and shots, I decided not to tell the parental units in charge of my life. That was risky.
Of course, that is not the type of risk I am challenging you with. I am talking about the spiritual risk you take when you reach out to Jesus to receive absolutely everything he has for you--the incredible power of the Spirit that awaits you, the boldness, the zeal, the desire for purity in the face of a sex-crazed world, the guts to stand up for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is risky because it's different, not because it's bad. It is risky because it's dangerous to your will, and your nasty pride. It is dangerous because you are giving up....well....YOU! And all for the sake of pleasing Him.
The Lord said it this way; "You will find me when you seek me with all of your heart (being)." Taking that kind of risk will have some reward. First, you will find Jesus in ever-increasing depth. Second, you'll lose yourself in ever-increasing quantity. Third, someone else will notice. There's the risk. Is it worth it to you? Pastor Jim
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
There Is Hope...But it is SLIM
America is balanced on the edge of a knife. On one side is continued blessing. On the other is a fatal curse. Our President is walking along that edge and is dangerously close to taking our nation toward the wrong legacy. He is in Israel this very moment, pushing the noble idea of peace in the region.
Peace in the Middle-East is a good thing to shoot for. But I believe he is going about it in the wrong way. Listen closely, the struggle being waged over Jerusalem is not political--it is prophetic! It is the ages--long battle between estranged brothers and Jerusalem will soon be the absolute arena for the fight. Zechariah 12:3 says; "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves....." Whoa....
Why is it so important that we fall on the side of Jerusalem (Israel)? Zechariah 2:8 tells us that his capitol city is "the apple of his eye." The age old promise to Abraham still applies....God will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel. (Genesis 12:3) It is a serious thing to play with the fate of a God-covenanted people. The challenge before us is to search the ancient Scriptures and understand that God is serious about what he has established. The covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was an eternal covenant. Land is a huge portion of God's promise and we seem to be pushing for the covenant land to be re-divided. Joel chapter three indicates that the trigger that fires the end-time events is pulled "because they divided my land."
Last week, Ehud Omert, the weak and liberal Prime Minister of Israel said, "The division of Jerusalem is inevitible." President Bush is pushing Israel toward dividing the city so that some sort of lasting peace can be established between Jews and Palestinians, but in so doing, he is inviting the final curse upon his own nation. Many believe that the USA has been historically blessed because of its support of the Jews. However, history tells us otherwise. It was our own nation that closed the door to the Jews before WWII when migration to the free west was the only hope for millions. It was America and the Allies that turned a deaf ear to the serious rantings of Hitler and his published 'final solution' for the Jews. Even when the State of Israel declared itself on May 14th 1948, after the remnant of Jews had returned to British controlled Palestine, Harry Truman had to go against populace sentiment as well as his own State Department in order to recognized Israel's right to exist within the United Nations. However, when the fight for Israel's survival started the next day (May 15, 1948) no nation, ours included, came to aid the Israeli people. But....God did.
Yes, Israel took on Democratic priniciples and America needed an ally in that volatile region, but we have done nothing but walk the fence between Isaac (Israel) and Ishmael (Arabs). It has all been for our own interests, oil and wealth, not the interest of blessing God's covenant. Now, don't get me wrong, I believe President Bush has fulfilled the role that America needed. I believe Iraq (Babylon) needed to be subdued according to prophecy. (It is not listed among the nations in the soon coming battle of Ezekiel 38 & 39.) But he is obviously getting the wrong advise from someone and that means we need to pray and pray hard that the final mistake is not made during his final year in the White House. Our hope as a nation depends on two things. One: the Church must get on her knees and seek hard after God. Two: our nation must stop its two-faced, fence-walking, greed-based actions, and be a genuine blessing to Israel.
Remember to look up. You have to be nearly blind not to see that our redemption is getting really close. TTFN Pastor Jim
Peace in the Middle-East is a good thing to shoot for. But I believe he is going about it in the wrong way. Listen closely, the struggle being waged over Jerusalem is not political--it is prophetic! It is the ages--long battle between estranged brothers and Jerusalem will soon be the absolute arena for the fight. Zechariah 12:3 says; "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves....." Whoa....
Why is it so important that we fall on the side of Jerusalem (Israel)? Zechariah 2:8 tells us that his capitol city is "the apple of his eye." The age old promise to Abraham still applies....God will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel. (Genesis 12:3) It is a serious thing to play with the fate of a God-covenanted people. The challenge before us is to search the ancient Scriptures and understand that God is serious about what he has established. The covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was an eternal covenant. Land is a huge portion of God's promise and we seem to be pushing for the covenant land to be re-divided. Joel chapter three indicates that the trigger that fires the end-time events is pulled "because they divided my land."
Last week, Ehud Omert, the weak and liberal Prime Minister of Israel said, "The division of Jerusalem is inevitible." President Bush is pushing Israel toward dividing the city so that some sort of lasting peace can be established between Jews and Palestinians, but in so doing, he is inviting the final curse upon his own nation. Many believe that the USA has been historically blessed because of its support of the Jews. However, history tells us otherwise. It was our own nation that closed the door to the Jews before WWII when migration to the free west was the only hope for millions. It was America and the Allies that turned a deaf ear to the serious rantings of Hitler and his published 'final solution' for the Jews. Even when the State of Israel declared itself on May 14th 1948, after the remnant of Jews had returned to British controlled Palestine, Harry Truman had to go against populace sentiment as well as his own State Department in order to recognized Israel's right to exist within the United Nations. However, when the fight for Israel's survival started the next day (May 15, 1948) no nation, ours included, came to aid the Israeli people. But....God did.
Yes, Israel took on Democratic priniciples and America needed an ally in that volatile region, but we have done nothing but walk the fence between Isaac (Israel) and Ishmael (Arabs). It has all been for our own interests, oil and wealth, not the interest of blessing God's covenant. Now, don't get me wrong, I believe President Bush has fulfilled the role that America needed. I believe Iraq (Babylon) needed to be subdued according to prophecy. (It is not listed among the nations in the soon coming battle of Ezekiel 38 & 39.) But he is obviously getting the wrong advise from someone and that means we need to pray and pray hard that the final mistake is not made during his final year in the White House. Our hope as a nation depends on two things. One: the Church must get on her knees and seek hard after God. Two: our nation must stop its two-faced, fence-walking, greed-based actions, and be a genuine blessing to Israel.
Remember to look up. You have to be nearly blind not to see that our redemption is getting really close. TTFN Pastor Jim
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
A Rude Awakening Awaits
The Presidential Primary in New Hampshire is plastered all over the media today. It's as if nothing else matters, that life's swinging pendulim is anchored to this one day, this one blip in history. In the mean time, courts are ruling on the side of child pornographers, abortion continues, and every form of sexual immorality has found the sweet spot of acceptance within our culture. Which candidate in New Hampshire, Dem or Rep, is crying out for the reformation of our social character? Which on is giving a forceful call to rethink how we search for and embrace truth? Which candidate is challenging our thought paradigm? Who is calling for sanity in freedom, and moderation in persuing personal hapiness? What man or woman desiring to rule is calling for personal sacrifice that doesn't include an increase in taxation?
The list of questions is really many times this numbers....but there isn't room here. One can't help but smile as the media portrays Obama, or Mitt, or Huck, as the next bright spots for "change" in our nation. They are all great orators. They speak from the heart with words that make a semblence of sense and can be understood by most people with a sixth grade education. But, 'NEWS FLASH,' oratory changes nothing.
One of the greatest orators of the last century was Nebraskan, William Jennings Bryan. I've read his stuff....man could he turn a phrase and influence the ears. Can you recall his most important oratorical moment? Yup, the Scope's Monkey Trial. His arguments were right, correct, and powerful. So why is evolutionary theory the understanding of the land with an iron grip on this last generation? Is it because of scientific viability? Nah! It is because people wanted to believe something that would hold no personal accountability, no possibility of proferred judgment, no moderation, no visible restraints. "The fittest must survive!"
Obama may bring some change if he is elected president. So might the others. But slick foreign policy, monetary conservatism, or higher/lower taxes will not bring the awakening America needs.
Whoever ends up in the White House, unless the heart of Americans who really do trust God seeks change, the only awakening will be rude. Here is why? APATHY. Apathy has brought on Atrophy. Jesus' followers are paralized. We've made a partial purchase in the market place of relativism....Oprah style universalism....accepting other's truth as viable. Sure, it sounds intolerant to believe Jesus is actually the only way to the Father as he clearly said, but applying the breaks to your car is the only way to avoid running a stop sign! Opening your respitory system and taking air is the only way to breath. Unless believers begin to obey the truth of the Word in every area of their lives, change will remain an illusive oratorical trick by slick politicians in order to get a vote.
Conclusion: Exercise your vote. More importantly, let's exercise our knees by bending them in repentance for not loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and not loving our neighbor as ourselves---loving him enough to respectfully challenge his thinking by presenting Jesus! Cool verse....2 Chornicles 7:14.... check it out. If you apply it, the outlook of your day may improve markedly. "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and HEAL their LAND."
Tomorrow I'll deal with America and how it is forsaking its only hope of survival....its treatment of Israel! Until then.... Pastor Jim (Comments or questions are welcomed:)
The list of questions is really many times this numbers....but there isn't room here. One can't help but smile as the media portrays Obama, or Mitt, or Huck, as the next bright spots for "change" in our nation. They are all great orators. They speak from the heart with words that make a semblence of sense and can be understood by most people with a sixth grade education. But, 'NEWS FLASH,' oratory changes nothing.
One of the greatest orators of the last century was Nebraskan, William Jennings Bryan. I've read his stuff....man could he turn a phrase and influence the ears. Can you recall his most important oratorical moment? Yup, the Scope's Monkey Trial. His arguments were right, correct, and powerful. So why is evolutionary theory the understanding of the land with an iron grip on this last generation? Is it because of scientific viability? Nah! It is because people wanted to believe something that would hold no personal accountability, no possibility of proferred judgment, no moderation, no visible restraints. "The fittest must survive!"
Obama may bring some change if he is elected president. So might the others. But slick foreign policy, monetary conservatism, or higher/lower taxes will not bring the awakening America needs.
Whoever ends up in the White House, unless the heart of Americans who really do trust God seeks change, the only awakening will be rude. Here is why? APATHY. Apathy has brought on Atrophy. Jesus' followers are paralized. We've made a partial purchase in the market place of relativism....Oprah style universalism....accepting other's truth as viable. Sure, it sounds intolerant to believe Jesus is actually the only way to the Father as he clearly said, but applying the breaks to your car is the only way to avoid running a stop sign! Opening your respitory system and taking air is the only way to breath. Unless believers begin to obey the truth of the Word in every area of their lives, change will remain an illusive oratorical trick by slick politicians in order to get a vote.
Conclusion: Exercise your vote. More importantly, let's exercise our knees by bending them in repentance for not loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and not loving our neighbor as ourselves---loving him enough to respectfully challenge his thinking by presenting Jesus! Cool verse....2 Chornicles 7:14.... check it out. If you apply it, the outlook of your day may improve markedly. "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and HEAL their LAND."
Tomorrow I'll deal with America and how it is forsaking its only hope of survival....its treatment of Israel! Until then.... Pastor Jim (Comments or questions are welcomed:)
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