Sunday (part 01)

If you did not come to church this past sunday you missed out on some really great stuff. Delfino preached on a subject that is hard to preach or teach on… LOVE… and i say this because it is a subject that is so easily pushed aside by the listener because we think we have already heard it all  and becuase we all seem to have “love” down but it is a subject that only comes alive in action and honest personal evaluation as the Holy Spirit just talks to our lives.

Ephesians 4:14-19

“the Fullness of God” mentioned in v.19 referes to “that love” mentioned in the same verse. “That love” refers to the “wide”, “long”, “deep” and “high” love of GOD.

In other words, the greatest thing of the image of God you will ever see/understand is LOVE and that alone is the fullness of God.

You can receive it in knowing you are loved DESPITE how you see of feel about yourself and you can give it wheather you feel you are worthy or not! Carry it proudly and offer it liberally.

God is CRAZY and so is his love. How hard is it to turst that?

Job 14

I’ve been reading the book of Job the last couple of days… This book is insane. This guy is in the middle of this cosmic battle between Good and evil and he does not know it. God basically bets verything on him and he does not know and Job is ranting and angry and everything but happy during the whole ordeal. The bet the devil puts on the table is that if Job did not have all the blessings he had he would not be so faithful to God and his Way. God allows satan to do anything to Job except take life. What is amazing is that though Job is going through more crap than any of us ever will he does something spectacualr. In his anger and frustration with life he gets so honest with God and just has bursts of anger and frustration (anyone know anyone like this?). Despite verything, once he’s vented and ranted for some time he then WORSHIPS. He PRAISES despite his situation.

Try it! It’s a common theme in the life in the lives of those GREAT men of GOD.

Sharing Jesus

We asked a roundtable of pastors and theologians two questions:

(1) You are standing on stage before 100,000 people from every nation on earth and asked to share the gospel in 100 words or less. What would you say?

(2) You are standing before a small crowd from your church’s neighborhood and asked to share the gospel in 100 words or less. What would you say? [Authors were asked to include a couple of words describing their neighborhood. We have included these in italics when provided.]

Mack Stiles

(1) Maybe you don’t know, but there is a heavenly dilemma over you. You are loved as God’s special creation. But because God is also holy you are cut off from him by your wickedness and under his judgment. The Bible tells of God’s one solution: Jesus, fully God and fully sinless man, ransomed us to God through his death on the cross. He paid our sin-debt and rose from the dead as proof that he is the way and the truth. Eliminate the dilemma! Turn from sin; follow Jesus by putting your complete faith and trust in him.

(2) Allah commands you to read the Injil. But what does it say? It says salvation comes from Allah’s love, not Allah’s rules! It says the straight path to Allah is faith in the Jesus of the Injil. The Injil gives only one path: Jesus, fully God – fully man and perfect, ransomed us to God through his death on the cross. He paid our sin-debt. He rose from the dead as proof that he is the path to heaven. Does Allah’s strength not protect his word? The Injil says repent; follow Jesus; put your complete faith and trust in him.

[Editor's note: in further conversation with Mr. Stiles, he said he often will use this story with unbelievers (which he says is not original to him): Two men went to the mosque to pray. One was a rich man, the other a poor man. The rich man went through his libations and prayers as he did five times a day. As he was praying, he began to have a sexual fantasy about the young wife who lived next door to his home. But he finished his prayers and went home. The poor man stood off at a distance. He came so infrequently to the mosque, that he couldn't remember the positions for prayer or his libations. But he looked up to heaven, beat his breast, and said, "Forgive me, O Lord, for I'm a sinner." Who went home justified? Mr Stiles says that every Muslim he has asked this question has answered "The rich man."]

Mack Stiles is a businessman in Dubai, UAE, and is the author of Speaking of Jesus, 17 Things My Kids Taught Me About God, and Mack & Leeanne’s Guide to Short-Term Missions. His son is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Beautiful!

The following was written by pastor Perry Noble and the series is being presented by New Springs Church in Atlanta (i think)… If you are interested in hearing the teaching/preaching, go to…

iTunes—> iTunes Store—> search for Perry Noble and subscribe to the Podcast (it’s FREE)