(February 8, 2011)
Prayer House News!
Our ladies will be praying today at 9:00am.
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This is Family Week for us which means a scaled down schedule for the week with no mid-week classes.
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By The Way the Packers Won the Superbowl!!!
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Devotional!
The Widows Heart

Mark 12:38 And in His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation. "

Jesus was an agent for change. That is what made him so controversial. Just think of what He was doing in this setting. He is criticizing a group of people that had never been criticized before. The Scribes and Pharisees were basically free to do what ever they wanted to do. They had established a religious system that basically put them above criticism, making those “under” them too inferior to say anything.

Do you remember from last week’s scripture reading how in verse 37 it ends by saying that the crowd enjoyed him. Mark 12:37 "David himself calls Him 'Lord'; and so in what sense is He his son?" And the great crowd enjoyed listening to Him. They had never had anybody really stand up to the religious standard of the day before. His comments were quite refreshing to them – until he turned the spotlight on them. It’s always easier to rejoice when others are corrected than we are the ones being corrected.

However, Jesus did not simply criticize for the sake of pointing out their error. He was attempting to provoke them to examine themselves. He starts off by saying, "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes,.” The long robes had religious significance to them.

Numbers 15:38 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. (39) And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, (40) in order that you may remember to do all My commandments, and be holy to your God.

The Lord commanded the people of Israel to add blue tassels to the corners of their outer garments (robes), as reminders to obey His commandments. Eventually this custom degenerated into a mere outward show of piety, some of them even lengthened the tassels so that they would be more obvious, and here in Mark 12 we find this practice being condemned by Jesus.

The robe itself with its bright colors and tassels was meant to be a reminder of their dependency upon God. It was meant to humble them. As they looked upon it they were to be reminded not to go after their own heart but to remain holy unto God. Instead it became a symbol of prestige and power. The robe was worn as a badge. It became an outward statement of something that was meant to be an inward reminder of their need.
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Medication: A Merry Heart

Did you know...

The average chocolate bar has 8 insect legs in it.

A rhinoceros horn is made of compacted hair.

The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896.

Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.

A polar bear's skin is black. Its fur is not white, but actually clear.

Elvis had a twin brother named Garon, who died at birth, which is why

Elvis' middle name was spelled Aron; in honor of his brother.

Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

Donald Duck comics were banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.

Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.

Shakespeare invented the word "assassination" and "bump".

If you keep a goldfish in the dark room, it will eventually turn white.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left handed people do.

The sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the English language.

Typewriter is the longest word that can be made using the letters on only one row of the keyboard.

(February 7, 2011)
Prayer House News!
We had a great start to our newest CORE focus. For this whole month we will take a look at The Knowledge Of God. This will take us deep into the word of God. It's going to be a powerful month. Our Wednesday adult class will look into how the Bible came into existence and why it can be trusted. My message is attached.
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This is Family Week for us which means a scaled down schedule for the week with no mid-week classes.
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By The Way the Packers Won the Superbowl!!!
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Devotional!
The Widows Heart

I read something yesterday that I thought was great. It was talking about churches that are not growing: churches that have not won anyone to the Lord for the past several years. The article said, “Why do churches that have not had any significant growth, in terms of salvations, for the last several years, continue to do things exactly the way they have always done it?” That is the problem with change. We tend to believe the past is sacred and that it should not be tampered with. That is why we tend to want to go back to the way it was years ago.

So the question is: how shall we change? Here is my answer: we shall do according to the need of the people, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Let me explain this. I just read about a church that had been running around 400 people. Then they decided to become a praise and worship church and started spending an hour and a half to two hours in worship each service, and started losing people. If there was time after the worship and the Holy Spirit led – the preacher would then preach.

An acquaintance of mine attended the church as a guest speaker. The church had lost 300 people since the time they made the change. After about an hour and a half of worship the pastor said to the speaker – “We decided to become a praise and worship church and 300 people have left. But, we need to get rid of about 40 more; and when they’ve left, then the church will really grow.” Worship was never meant to be more important than a love for people. You might react and say, “But worship is adoration to God, isn’t that important?” Yes it is, but just try to get close to God while you ignore the needs to those around you. There are plenty of “train-wrecks” of people and churches that have been unnecessarily wounded by change. Spirit-filled change does not treat people like commodities. God’s people are not disposable assets.

Just think of what that pastor is saying. He wants to get his church down to about 60 people then they will really grow. Suppose they grew from 60 to 400 in a short amount of time. That would be terrific growth but they would only get back to the place they were before they decided to change for change sake.

It’s very similar to 1 Corinthians 13:2…and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. “Faith without love does not impress God at all, (paraphrase).”

In the 1980’s an Assemblies of God family made international headlines when their 10-year-old son died due to their withholding his insulin. The parents had embraced the extreme faith teaching, “confessing” that he was healed. After the father was released from several years in prison, he and his wife wrote a book about their experience. The lesson they learned was incredible. They said they came to realize that they had put faith above love. He said. “We could hear the cry of our son and we knew that insulin would have given him relief but we had so convinced ourselves that that would have been a lack of faith that we denied it to him.” When you have faith without love you have nothing and you are nothing. This all comes down to love. Change for the sake of change is never the Spirit’s direction. Change for the sake of love is a different story.

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Medication: A Merry Heart

Whacha Doin'?

My wife asked me this morning, "Whacha doin' today?"

I said, "Nothing."

She said, "That's what you did yesterday."

I said, "I wasn't finished."

(February 4, 2011)
Prayer House News!
Our second CORE focus will be on the Knowledge of God. It will start this coming Sunday.
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Devotional!
The Valley of Decision

That which determines where it is we are dwelling is the valley that separates Jerusalem from the Mount. The valley of Jehosaphat, or the valley of decision,

I believe, is the valley of the shadow of death that King David refers to in his famous 23rd Psalm.

Psalm 23:4 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Obviously the valley that David refers to does not necessarily have to be a literal valley. He could be simply referring to a difficult time in his life. However, the valley of Jehosaphat is littered the with the grave-sites of those who wanted to be buried there so that they could be there when the resurrection takes place. There is a little bit of conjecture in my reference here. However, David would often go to the Mount of Olives to pray subsequently, he would often have to pass through this valley. David crossed this brook bare-foot and weeping, when fleeing from his own son Absalom (2 Sam 15:23,30). This valley is a major geographical point or place throughout the Bible.

David’s rod and staff would comfort him as he passed through. This leads us to believe he was referring to a physical place as he passed through. He would literally depend upon his staff to help him get through the valley in the dark of the night. The rod and staff are also a type of Holy Spirit. The rod for correction, the staff for support: two of the functions of the Spirit of God.

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Do you see it yet? The only way through this valley of decision is with the assist of the Holy Spirit. I believe the Spirit of God is calling our church to this same point of decision. The only way to get from the flesh-life to the spirit-life is by making a willful decision to pass through this valley of death and to die to the old way of living.

This valley is also known as the valley of judgment. The Valley of Jehoshaphat means; "Yahweh judgeth." Just before Jesus left the earth he said that it would be to our benefit for Him to leave, because along with Him leaving, the Holy Spirit would come, and when He comes he will “convict.” He will convict concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Conviction is all the judgment the Christian needs to face. When we are faced with conviction we are placed smack dab in the middle of this valley of judgment and decision. Judgment in the sense that we are under conviction – we know the things that we do that are not right with God. And now that we are under conviction – we have a decision to make. We can look at Jerusalem and gaze upon the kingdom of man or we can turn and look at the Mount of Olives, the kingdom of God.

Here’s the challenge - the kingdom of the world loves your sin. It loves and even promotes an ungodly lifestyle. It’s very enticing in the midst of sinful activity. It will justify all your activities. It accepts all your logic as to why you feel you need to live with sinful, unrighteous, activity. When the disciple said, “Jesus, look at these marvelous buildings,” Jesus immediately said, “Forget it, don’t get drawn in to the glamour of this world. Not one of these stones will be left upon another.” He then quickly walked them over to the Mount of Olives, and from the vantage point of spirituality, he said, “The kingdom of God is more than wood, hay, and stubble. It is love, peace, and righteousness. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory.” It’s the life of the spirit. What is your decision?

We are in the valley of the shadow of death. We are being asked to lay down our flesh life and to pick up the spirit life. Lay down the flesh – walk over to the Mount of Olives and enter into a life spent with Jesus. A life of praying, fasting, teaching and preaching. Don’t you want to be used by God? Don’t you believe it is much more important to understand the Spirit of God than to merely try to figure out when Jesus is coming back?

The prophet saw – in the spirit – multitudes in the valley of decision.

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

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Medication: A Merry Heart

Euphemisms For Being Stupid

A brick short of a load.
A couple of eggs shy of a dozen.
A couple of gallons short of a full tank.
A few ants short of a picnic.
A few bricks short of a pile.
A few bricks short of a wall.
A few cards short of a deck.
A few clowns short of a circus.
A few feathers short of a whole duck.
A few fries short of a Happy Meal.
A few peas short of a casserole.
A few tomatoes short of a good thick sauce.
A few trucks short of a convoy.
A fortune cookie short of a Chinese dinner.
A pepperoni short of a pizza.
A few sandwiches short of a picnic.
About as bright as a burnt-out 20 watt light bulb.
An experiment in Artificial Stupidity.
As much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle.
As quick as a tortoise on Prozac.
As smart as bait.
As useful as a screen door on a submarine.
As useful as a wooden frying pan.
Bright as Alaska in December.
Doesn't have both oars in the water.
Doesn't have all his cornflakes in one box.
Doesn't have all his dogs on one leash.
Doesn't have all the dots on his dice.
Dumb as a corn cob.
Dumb as a stump.
Dumber than a bag of rocks.
Elevator doesn't quite make the top floor.
Fell out of the family tree.
Forgot to pay his brain bill.
Goes surfing in Nebraska.
Golf bag doesn't have a full set of irons.<
Got into the gene pool when the lifeguard wasn't watching.
Has an IQ of 2, but it takes 3 to grunt.
He fell out of the Stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.
He is so dumb, the only thing he ever read was an eye-chart.
He played too much without a helmet.
He's got a mind like a steel trap, rusted shut.
He's got a leak in his think-tank.
He's got a mind like a steel sieve.
He's got his feet firmly planted 3 feet above the ground.
He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
He's so dense light bends around him.
His belt doesn't go through all the loops.
His cheese has slipped off his cracker.
His porch light ain't on.
If brains were chocolate, he wouldn't have enough to fill an M&M.
If brains were dynamite, he wouldn't have enough to blow his nose.
If brains were dynamite, he wouldn't have enough to blow his hat off.
If brains were gasoline, he couldn't ride a moped around a fruit loop.
If brains were taxed, he'd get a rebate.
If he had a brain, he'd be dangerous.
If he had another brain, it would be lonely.
If stupid were a talent, he would be considered gifted.
Isn't firing on all 6 cylinders.
Isn't firing on all thrusters.
Like a pair of children's scissors, bright and colorful, but not too sharp.
Mind like a rubber bear trap.
Needing a few screws tightened.
Not firing with all spark plugs.
Not the brightest light in the harbor.
Not the brightest light on the Christmas tree.
Not the sharpest hook in the tackle box.
Not the sharpest pencil in the box.
Off his rocker.
On/off switch is stuck in the off position.
One Fruit Loop shy of a full bowl.
One taco short of a combination plate.
One turbine short of an airplane.
One-celled organisms outscore him in IQ tests.
Proof that evolution CAN go in reverse.
Requires directions to lay sod.
Room temperature IQ.
Running about a quart low.
Running on empty.
Sharp as a bowling ball.
She's not tied too tight to the pier.
Strong like bear, smart like tractor.
Takes him 1-1/2 hours to watch 60 minutes.
The elevator is stuck between floors.
Too dumb to pull his head in before he shuts the window.
Too many yards between the goal posts.
Two hub caps short of a Buick.
Warning--Objects in mirror are dumber than they appear.
Was left on the tilt-a-whirl too long as a baby.

(February 3, 2011)

Prayer House News!
The big storm is over! Everything is back to normal. We are gearing up for the weekend.
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Tonight the Mighty Men will meet at 6:30pm followed by RPM at 8:00pm.
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Our second CORE focus will be on the Knowledge of God. It will start this coming Sunday.
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Devotional!
The Valley of Decision

John 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

The Holy Spirit will disclose to us what is to come. The Holy Spirit will speak whatever He hears the Father speaking. He will actually tell you about the future.

It’s not so much an issue of what we know and understand about the last days. It’s a matter of whether or not we are being led by the Holy Spirit today. It’s a matter of where we are dwelling. Are we dwelling in Jerusalem, in the kingdom of man, still taken up with man and his puny accomplishments? Or are we dwelling on the Mount, completely taken up with our Savior, moving and flowing with His Spirit. That is what it’s going to take to go through all the things we may face in the last days.

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Medication: A Merry Heart

She Was So Blond...


...she spent 20 minutes looking at the orange juice box because it said "concentrate".

...she put lipstick on her forehead because she wanted to make up her mind.

...she got stabbed in a shoot-out.

...she told me to meet her at the corner of "WALK" and "DONT WALK".

...she thought TuPac Shakur was a Jewish holiday.

...she tried to put M&M's in alphabetical order.

...she sent me a fax with a stamp on it.

...she tried to drown a fish.

...she thought a quarterback was a refund.

...they had to burn the school down to get her out of third grade.

...under "education" on her job application, she put "Hooked On Phonics."

...she tripped over a cordless phone.

...she took a ruler to bed to see how long she slept.

...at the bottom of the application where it says "sign here".. she put "Sagittarius."

...she asked for a price check at the Dollar Store.

...it takes her two hours to watch 60 Minutes.

...if she spoke her mind, she'd probably be speechless.

...she studied for a blood test ...and failed.

...she thought Boyz II Men was a daycare center.

...she thought Meow Mix was a record for cats.

...she thought she needed a token to get on Soul Train.

...she sold the car for gas money.

...when she heard that 90% of all crimes occur around the home, she moved.

...she thinks Taco Bell is where you pay your phone bill.

...when she missed the 44 bus, she took the 22 bus twice instead.

...when she took you to the airport and saw a sign that said "Airport Left" she turned around and went home.

(February 2, 2011)

Prayer House News!

Ground Hog Day - the day we've been waiting for for months. I'm excited!
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It appears that the weather is rather inclement, subsequently there will be no mid-week classes tonight! Pass this word to those you know who do not get this devotional. Stay home and get caught up on your New Testament reading. Today's reading: Matthew 10-19.
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Our second CORE focus will be on the Knowledge of God. It will start this coming Sunday.
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Devotional!
The Valley of Decision

How are we going to see to it that we are not deceived or misled? Do you think any of the disciples noticed all the symbolism that seems so evident to us, in this setting? Do you think they felt that there was something spiritually significant to the Mount of Olives or the Valley of Jehoshaphat? They were still admiring the kingdom of man with all its impressive buildings. Let me ask you this; if we have better insight today about these things than the disciples had at this point in time, what is the difference? Why are we able to see what they couldn’t see at the time? It’s obvious that the disciple eventually gained the insight and the ability to discern the false Christs’ from the true one but at the time of their questions they really had very little insight.

Don’t you think it would be safe to say that the difference is the Holy Spirit! They had not yet received the gift of the Holy Spirit, they were still living and thinking like most men do who do not have an intimate relationship with Christ, or those who are in the church who reject this third person of the Trinity. Rejecting the Holy Spirit is not much different than rejecting the Son of God.

Look at how Jesus continues to talk to them about the things that will take place in the last days

Mark 13:10-11 "And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. (11) "And when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.

In that given hour the Holy Spirit will lead you. The disciples were still living within the realm of the kingdom of man. Jesus was trying to help them see that the questions they were asking were about a different kingdom, and in this other kingdom the Holy Spirit is the guide, and that without the help of the Holy Spirit they would never really have their questions answered.

Mark 13:19-23 "For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created, until now, and never shall. (20) "And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened the days. (21) "And then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ'; or, 'Behold, He is there'; do not believe him; (22) for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order, if possible, to lead the elect astray. (23) "But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.

Jesus said, “I have told you everything in advance.” From Jesus’ perspective he just answered all their questions concerning the end times. Do you think they were satisfied? Are you satisfied? Do you now have an understanding of how everything is going to unfold in the last days? Much of the spirit in which Jesus is addressing his disciples is almost as though his response is: what’s the difference? What’s the difference when these things will take place? Why does it concern you so? Are you still so taken up with the kingdom of this world? Are you still so enamored with what man has accomplished that you cannot get from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives.

They were sitting on the Mount of Olives, that spiritually significant place, asking questions about Jerusalem. It seems that the nature of Christ’s response to them is; don’t worry about the details because the Holy Spirit will lead you through that time. If you are arrested and taken to court he will speak through you with the exact words for the occasion. When false Christ’ and false prophets arise and perform signs and wonders – don’t worry about it – the Holy Spirit will reveal to you who they really are.

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Medication: A Merry Heart

You Know You're Too Stressed If...


...relatives that have been dead for years come visit you and suggest that you should get some rest.

...you can achieve a "Runners High" by sitting up.

...you say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.

...the Sun is too loud.

...trees begin chasing you.

...you can see individual air molecules vibrating.

...you begin to explore the possibility of setting up an I.V. drip solution of espresso.

...you wonder if brewing is really a necessary step in the consumption of coffee.

...you can hear mimes.

...you believe that if you think hard enough, you can fly.

...things become "Very Clear."

...you ask the drive-thru attendant if you can get your order to go.

...you say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.

...you keep yelling "STOP TOUCHING ME!" even though you are the only one in the room.

...your heart beats in 7/8 time.

...you and Reality file for divorce.

...you can skip without a rope.

...it appears that people are speaking to you in binary code.

...you have great revelations concerning: Life, the Universe, and Everything else, but can't quite find the words for them before the white glow disappears, leaving you more confused than before.

...you can travel without moving.

...antacid tablets become your sole source of nutrition.

...you discover the aesthetic beauty of office supplies.

...you begin to talk to yourself, then disagree about the subject, get into a nasty row over it, lose, and refuse to speak to yourself for the rest of the night.

...teddy bears begin to bully you for milk and cookies.

...you have an irresistible urge to bite the noses of the people you are talking to.

...you say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you have said it before.