So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
PastorDan's Reflections from Day One: "[The evening's main speaker] challenged the church to move from a “Come ye to our programs” mentality into what Christ commanded, a “Go Ye into all the world” mode. He challenged everyone to remember that service and ministry is not to be left up to the pastors and priests, every Christian has a call to move out into the world as the hands and feet of Christ. He called upon Christians and the church to move beyond simple charity to substantive help."
A local favorite, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson of Eastern Star Church, will be inducted into the Indianapolis Public Schools' Hall of Fame alongside other Indy notables such as talk show host David Letterman and Congresswoman Julia Carson.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. =======================
Have you ever experienced a half-hearted friendship? Someone you know or knew that was your friend when it was convenient, but when other things / activities / people came around you suddenly were much less of a friend and therefore much less important to them? Or have you ever had someone working with you that were only working half-hearted. They did whatever because they knew they were supposed to or they had been compelled to. Worst of all, someone who was doing something for us just to “shut us up”? It sometimes makes US feel like “why bother?”
God has experienced this same thing from us more times than we can count, more than likely. God doesn’t enjoy the half-heartedness that we give Him any more than we enjoy it when it’s given to us. In fact, in Jeremiah 29:13, we are told that we will find Him when we search for Him with ALL of our heart. God doesn’t want us seeking Him out of compulsion or because we think we “have to"; rather He, just like we with our friends, wants us to seek Him diligently with the pure motive of Love! He wants our fellowship to be great because we want it great and thus if WE are half-hearted, so will our fellowship become.
God has great desires for our lives and great plans as well. God has an expected end for each of us if we will follow His ways and not our own. When we choose to be one of His disciples: denying our selves and our “wants” and simply seeking His wants and desires (His heart) for our lives, then we will find the intimacy of fellowship that brings joy unspeakable, victory over our flesh, and the abundant life that God has for us.
Pray with me that our “whole” heart seeks hard after God...
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Why don't we call this the "Courage Prayer?" Or the "Wisdom Prayer?" We call it the "Serenity Prayer," I suppose, because that's the first request in it. But serenity, by itself, is not... [continued at BikeHiker]
LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.
"A new way to capture stories and share them with other people and a way to involve more voices in the services."
"If either poverty or prosperity was the measure of being in good standing with God, the other group would always feel pressure. Instead, we can depend on God to provide what we need at the time it is needed (not to be confused the the time at which we want the need to be met!). I asked some people to call their stories in to my K7 number, and this is what they said...."
Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Jeremiah 17:5-10 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
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Cursed is the man who trusts in man...and that includes trusting in ourselves! God told Jeremiah this in Jer 17:5. He continued by saying the opposite as well: “Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD” (Jer 17:7).
It appears we all have a choice in life:
a) We can choose to trust in (& ultimately worship) ourselves or some other man (an idol either way) and be cursed in the eyes of God, or b) We can choose trust in the God of Heaven and earth who formed us from the dust and has the power to casts us into Hell --- and be blessed by God for it!
It doesn’t sound like too hard of a choice on the surface, but along with the blessing/cursing statement, God includes verse 9 of Jeremiah 17 into the mix...”The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”.
God doesn’t tell us “stuff” just to be telling us...this information is given for us in the context of this “conversation” for a reason! We must take care that we don’t let our hearts deceive us regarding our trust (and idolatry). So often our nature is to justify what we are thinking, saying or doing by couching it in the “name of ministry” or “just so you know how to pray”; and then we rattle off so much gossip, so much slander, so much judgment and criticism that there is no room for God’s hand of compassion, mercy or truth as we have already passed judgment and pronounced the sentence. Trusting God doesn’t just mean for our provision or our well-being...it means understanding that we are NOTHING and HE is EVERYTHING!
Think of Paul in Romans chapter 2 where he calls anyone who is judgmental “inexcusable”, and then tells us that if our behavior follows that pattern our hearts are hard. This is why Paul also told the church at Corinth to examine themselves as to whether they were in the faith – we have to heed the same call today as so often we trust in ourselves and not in God. So often because of our own pride and self-righteousness we place ourselves as a god instead of allowing THE LORD to be the Lord of our lives. So often we hinder God’s plans and quench His spirit when He simply wants to bless us as His children.
Remember when we were first saved and we had the faith and innocence and trust of a child...that is what God desires from us today as well! He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place so that we might live forever...we therefore need to trust exclusively in Him and receive of the grace that He has given us gracefully.
Pray with me that our hearts are soft so that we might see what God sees in our hearts...
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. his is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. ------------------ Our conduct in life, as Christians, is to be different from the world. We are to be in the world but not of the world. We are to walk away from iniquity (even from vile conversations) and set an example of pure love from a fervent heart for all men (1Pet 1:22).
The world likes to criticize and tear down other people – when they do it builds up their own ego, it fuels their own insecurities, it makes them feel less “bad”... and as Christians, we fall into this negative trap as well! Jeremiah has the Lord tell him, in Jeremiah chapter 15 that to be God’s mouth-piece, we need to do something different than the world. In loving our neighbor as ourselves (Matt 22:39), we should look for the good in people, not the bad. We should try to walk in their shoes (mentally) to attempt to understand their viewpoint that we might be able to minister. We should “take for the precious from the vile” if we desire to allow God to use us to speak His word and His heart to the fallen and broken world.
God has compassion on us, but we are often hard of heart. God has mercy on us, but we usually want justice. God gives us grace where none is deserved and often we can’t even receive of it. God’s heart is that none should perish but all should come to repentance. God loves us so very much that He sent His only Son to the cross to die in our place that we might have the privilege of being with Him in heaven for ever!! If we are to represent Him to the world, if we are to speak for Him to the lost, the broken hearted, the captives – we must see them as He sees them – with His love. We can only do this through the power of His Holy Spirit; it is only through His enabling that we can faithfully find the precious from the vile, the good from the bad, and the diamond in the sewer...
And...we must humbly understand that He started this process of the precious from the vile when He started with us! Until we understand that we need the shed blood on Calvary no less than those we desire to minister to, we will never have God’s heart toward them.
Pray with me that God gives us the heart to always find the precious from the vile...
Ft. Wayne to be featured on national call... Sept.26th
Mission America Coalition's upcoming "Featured Cities" national conference call (Sept. 26th) will be specially targeting Fort Wayne, Indiana.
National call-hosts Phil Miglioratti (National Pastors Prayer Network) and Dennis Fuqua (Prayer Summits) welcome pastors & other driven Christians from across the country to listen-in, ask questions and learn what they can to benefit their city-reaching movement.
Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
[excerpted from an email today from our friend Micah Clark, AFA of Indiana]
"Several Indianapolis churches are gathering alongside an event being organized and sponsored by the Church of Acts. They are inviting people to attend Rock Indy, a prayer and praise gathering at the Conseco Fieldhouse on Saturday, September 30th from 7pm-9pm. "ROCK Indy." simply stands for Reclaiming Our City and Kids and it focuses on prayer for the city, specifically about the crime wave impacting Indianapolis. For more information about this free event call the Church of Acts office at 317-783-2287."
Isaiah 63:7-9 -------------- 7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. 8 For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. 9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
Isaiah 64:4-5 -------------- 4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isaiah 58:8-11 --------------- 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Pray with me that we mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD every day of our lives...
Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
Dr. John Perkins spoke recently at Tenth Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Philadelphia -- the pulpit made famous by the preaching of the late James Montgomery Boice.
Dr. Perkins is the founder of Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), and its upcoming national convention this year will be held in Philly at the end of Sept. [Last year, it was held here in Indianapolis.]
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
Warning: "This site contains material offensive to anyone happy with just getting by, the status quo, or willing to accept mediocrity. Known side effects include hope, ambition, courage, passion, desire, self-confidence, and belief. Should you experience any of these afflictions, you must immediately share them with someone else."
"I’ve often questioned who am I, to think that I could make a difference in this world. Thank goodness two-thousand years ago, eleven scared men, huddled in a room, given the task of sharing the gospel, did not think that way."
"A cultural mindset has infiltrated our homes and is robbing our young people of what true Christianity is-a transformed relationship with God through Christ.
Josh McDowell wants to assist you and the families in your church in the battle for the hearts and minds of our young people.
The Why Belief Matters Seminar coming to your area is a one-evening three-session seminar in which Josh shares how to reverse the distorted beliefs our young people are adopting and how to ground them in both their relationship with Christ and in the Christian evidences of why we believe what we believe."
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
Want to see your Christian event get some great coverage... for FREE? All you have to do is mark your calendar for the 20th of each month so you're sure not to miss their deadline... And then email Jackie Jones your event info... jackie@thechronicleonline.net.
Btw, have you read THIS MONTH's issue yet? If not, you can read it online. [pdf]
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[IndyChristian Note: Friends, please prayfully consider how you can support this great communication tool for our metro area. They are great folks and a great resource for all of us.]
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Indianapolis Baptist Temple... "New Home, Same Beliefs"
When federal marshals seized the Indianapolis Baptist Temple in 2001, strapping the church's [then] leader to a gurney and rolling him out of the sanctuary, the congregation's future seemed bleak.
But 5 1/2 years later, the temple is flourishing. The congregation's massive new home is a former athletic club in Southport; a new sanctuary sits where there once were three indoor tennis courts.
The temple's revival is "a modern-day miracle," according to the Rev. Gregory A. Dixon...
You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
*************** excerpted from their site *************
The mission of the World Journalism Institute is to recruit, equip, place and encourage journalists who are Christians in the mainstream newsrooms of America.
The World Journalism Institute seeks to identify aspiring journalists who are Christians and help them become proficient and professional in their calling of journalism. Our focus is mainstream media as opposed to Christian media, because the daily newspaper and broadcast news media outlets are primary sources of information about the world. Christians, joining those of many persuasions in the newsroom, can be beneficial in accurately understanding and reporting the events of the day. [continued]
Q: Is there a theological litmus test at the World Journalism Institute?
A: There is no theological litmus test or template set for the students or the teachers. While the administration of WJI is Reformed and would look to historic Presbyterianism for its theological understanding, the teachers and students represent all the perspectives of historic, orthodox Christianity.
Q: Are students from all Christian denominations and traditions welcome at the World Journalism Institute?
A: Yes. All that is required on the statement of faith portion of the course/workshop application is a brief written profession of faith in Jesus Christ as one's lord and savior."
In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
About 5 1/2 years after federal marshals seized its church property, the Indianapolis Baptist Temple started a new chapter Sunday in a new location. Nearly 900 people celebrated the grand opening of the Temple's massive new home in a former racquet sports center on ... [continued at IndyStar.com]
Visit Transform Indiana ministry networking site regarding the recent 'field trip' by some Indy Christians to the Taylor/Ft. Wayne campus to hear Dr. John Perkins (Founder, CCDA and honorary co-chairman of Mission America Coalition), and to dialog with some key Ft. Wayne Christian pastors & leaders. The trip was sponsored by Crossroads Bible College.
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Many more white children use the Internet than do Hispanic and black students, a reminder that going online is hardly a way of life for everyone.
Two of every three white students -- 67 percent -- use the Internet, but less than half of blacks and Hispanics do, according to federal data released Tuesday. For Hispanics the figure is 44 percent; for blacks, it's 47 percent.
"This creates incredible barriers for minorities," said Mark Lloyd, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and an expert on how communications influence civil rights.
Not using the Internet "narrows their ability to even think about the kind of work they can be doing," Lloyd said. "It doesn't prepare them for a world in which they're going to be expected to know how to do these things."
Kids use the Internet most often for completing school assignments, the new study says.
Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
[excerpted from Chris Malott's article at Howard County Christians]
"I believe that God has given even the least among us those things they need to have "a life" that is independent of wealth, relationships, and experience. How often have we heard of the poor frightened soul on his deathbed who in a torrent of regret realizes the most horrible of all realities - that he is about to die... and he has never really lived. What nonsense. The richest, most famous and celebrated human beings on the planet already..."
Song of Solomon 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. =============== The song of Solomon is a love song between Solomon and his first love, Tirzah. In chapter 2, Tirzah speaks of “taking the little foxes that spoil the vines”...this means removing the distractions and those things that take away from the relationship.
This book, the Song of Solomon, is often thought of as a picture of the groom and his bride – Jesus and His church. As such, we have the same exhortation that we should remove the distractions and those things that unnecessarily take away from our relationship or walk with the Lord. Jesus, himself, told us the parable of the sower in Luke chapter 8, where He spoke of four types of soil meaning the four different results from sowing the Word of God to the world.
In this parable, some don’t get saved (the seed on the way side), some have an “experience” or “emotion” from which they think they might be saved (the Word upon the rock), some get saved but don’t bear fruit in their walk because they are choked out by all of the weeds and thorns (which represent the cares of this world that take away from our walk with the Lord) and finally, the seed that falls on good ground and bears good fruit.
The little foxes in Song of Solomon chapter 2 are the same as the weeds and thorns in Luke chapter8 – how important it is that we see how very detrimental the cares of the world can become as they relate to our walk, our intimacy and our friendship with God. When our desire for more pleasure or more money or more power or...when our desire for “more” causes us to lose sight of our Lord, then “more” is definitely “less”!! All of our treasures here on earth will amount to NOTHING in the sight of eternity. We must have the eternal perspective! How is getting that promotion or that boat or that raise, etc., going to bear fruit that will have everlasting effects? Will it grow my relationship with my Lord Jesus, will it edify the church, will it cause many to come to salvation, will it store up treasures for us in heaven? If not, is it really worth our time and effort?
Pray with me that we rid ourselves of the little foxes that take away from the intimacy we might have with Jesus...
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Here at IndyChristian.com we're purposeful in 'connecting driven Christians in the Racing Capital of the World'. So I don't mind doing some shameless promotion (LOL) of great Christians helping to change lives & communities.
So let me introduce you to our part-time Youth Pastor at River Oaks Community Church in Carmel... William Brown. He's making a difference in young lives here, and I'm glad to commend him to you...
William Brown
In his corporate life, William has recently been named as a loan officer at American Home Mortgage. Hope you'll visit his page and drop him a line if he can help you with financing issues.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
NEW YORK -- Public schools take a lot of criticism, but a growing, loosely organized movement is now moving from harsh words to action -- with parents taking their own children out of public schools and exhorting other families to do the same.
Led mainly by evangelical Christians, the movement depicts public education as hostile to religious faith and claims to be behind a surge in homeschooling.
"The courts say no creationism, no prayer in public schools," said Roger Moran, a Winfield, Mo., businessman and member of the Southern Baptist Convention executive committee.
"Humanism and evolution can be taught, but everything I believe is disallowed."
Moran, the father of nine homeschooled children, co-sponsored a resolution at the Southern Baptists' annual meeting in June that urged the denomination to endorse a public school pullout. It failed, as did a similar proposal before the conservative Presbyterian Church in America. Still, the movement is very much alive, led by...
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Ecclesiastes 5:2-7 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. 3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. 4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
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King Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, shares with us many truths of life – all of which revolve around the vanity of life without God in the center. In Ecc 5:2-7, we are told to not be rash with our mouths for a fool’s voice is known by the multitude of words. Also, Proverbs 10:19 tells us that there is no “lack” of sin in the multitude of words. This is wise counsel for all of us today.
Solomon also speaks to making promises (especially to God). Promises are most often empty and are made in the heat of the moment or are a result of our pride in which we say to God, or some other person, I will do this or that. Words spoken in this way are empty – they are vanity (which means emptiness). Unfortunately, in today’s society, such words are the norm. Jesus, in Matthew 5:37 told us to let our “yes be yes” and our “no be no” which means we are to keep our word – even though our culture is one in which everyone looks for the “loophole”.
If we have made a vow to God – “God, if you give me this job I promise I’ll give $xx.xx dollars to the church”, or “God, if you get me out of this I promise I’ll never do it again”, or “God, if you heal my child I promise I’ll go to church every Sunday” ...do we hear how empty these things are if we don’t follow through? It’s he same result when we make these “promises” to people.
Solomon tells us what we should do instead of making empty promises and not keeping our word in Ecc 5:7: he begins with “but” which always means the opposite of the previous conversation, so instead of empty words we are to fear God. All of our lives will be vanity without fearing God – reverencing Him, standing in awe of Him, seeing His great and unconditional love for us, and yes...knowing that He has the power to not only give life but to take it. We must be prepared to stand face to face before His throne at any time and the only way to do that is by having God’s Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, for none of us are righteous on our own! All of us have vanity in our lives.
Pray with me that our words be few and only of God and that we fear Him and love Him more...
[Excerpts from Marvin Olasky's article in World Magazine]
"The editor-in-chief of Wired magazine shows how the internet is changing media, business, and much besides by making it possible for people to learn about and order products that don't sell enough to take up space in brick-and-mortar stores and movie theaters, or on television and radio schedules where time is money."
"Anderson's point is that many sellers look for the few products that will sell an enormous number of units, but that there's gold to be prospected among the many that will sell few."
"But it's also relevant to thinking through the next stage of President Bush's faith-based initiative. That's because compassionate conservatism in the United States has a small head and a very long tail. "
Chuck Girard... Appearing live, Saturday night... 7:30pm in Carmel, Indiana
Chuck Girard is one of the first Contemporary Christian Music Artists and former member of the Jesus Movement's CCM group 'Love Song'. After years of psychedelic drugs and eastern religion, Chuck's search for God ended in 1970 when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord.... [continued].
For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.
Creationism Research Paper worth $50,000 Scholarship
Attention students and parents of students! If you’re a student aged 14–21, you have the opportunity to win a $50,000 scholarship to Virginia’s prestigious Bible-based Liberty University.
The Research Paper Challenge, now in its second year, is designed to encourage students to defend biblical authority in an increasingly unbiblical world.
[When Jan and I take our dogs for a walk at Clay Terrace, we seldom make the lap without a number of people calling out in an always-endearing voice... "Lassieeee!"... and stopping us to pet them. They often reflect back... "When I was a kid, we had a collie just like "Lassie". Why is it, that it always brings back fond memories of great days gone by? In any event, you'll enjoy this latest remake of the classic movie. We did!]
[excerpted from Christianity Today]
A popular bumper sticker reads...
"I want to be the man my dog thinks I am."
It happens all the time—a dog waits outside the café or the grocery store, straining at his leash, or shoving his nose against the car window, waiting in dutiful vigilance until his master emerges. And then, barking! Tail wagging! And a good deal of scampering about! It's as if this reunion merits some kind of celebration. It doesn't matter if you're grumpy or irritable—your dog is happy to see you. That kind of unconditional love can melt even the toughest heart.
And it's that kind of unconditional love that has made Lassie the world's most famous and beloved dog. Well, that, her colorful coat, and her tenderness toward the boy she loves.
If you think I'm referring to Jeff or Timmy, then you must be thinking of the boys on the Lassie television series that ran between 1954–74. No, I'm talking about the nine-year-old boy named Joe Carraclough, who is Lassie's precious friend in the latest big screen adaptation.
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
My father-in-law has seen something that few people see: 95 candles on his birthday cake. He lives on his own in a big old house on a small acreage in Ohio.
If you asked him the secret to a long life, he would probably say, “What’s that, honey?”
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Proverbs 22:17-19 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. 18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. 19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. =================== In Proverbs chapter 22, Solomon tells us to “hear” the words of the wise and apply our heart to knowledge. In this context, hearing is much more than listening: it is listening, understanding and then applying it to in our lives.
This is what God is calling us to with regards to His Word – the Bible. God holds all wisdom, thus to “hear” His words is the best thing we can ever do in our lives. Knowledge is gaining understanding of what we hear – we gain knowledge of God through His word. By prayer and study and Godly counsel, we gain understanding of His Word. We exhibit wisdom when we then take what we understand and apply is to our lives -- when we obey the Word of God.
This obedience to our understanding, which is obedience, ultimately, to God fosters the intimacy and fellowship of our relationship with God. Think on how challenged a relationship would be between a parent and a child if the child never obeyed the desires of the parent even though the parents desires were for the child’s best – it would be strained and distant. That’s how our relationship becomes with God when we choose to not obey. As a side note: it is often valuable to be reminded that partial obedience is DISOBEDIENCE. God calls us to obey all of His wisdom – not just select parts that we “like”.
The end result of our wisdom is shown to us in Prov 22:19. Our trust will be in the Lord – our obedience will prove to us that God does have our best in mind and as we grow in His Word so will our faith and our relationship with Him!
Pray with me that we have hearts that desire to listen, understand and obey our loving Father in Heaven...
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
[SAVI is the comprehensive community research tool of choice here in the Central Indiana area, and which contains many varieties of data... for metro area communities and even neighborhoods... including available data from state & national community-research, including U.S. Census Bureau research info.]
The September 22nd 'SAVI Users Conference' provides an opportunity to learn about new tools in SAVI, discover how other users have harnessed the power of SAVI through new approaches, and participate in discussions about how SAVI can help your organization better understand its community.
It also is a great place for people new to SAVI to learn how it can help your organization.
Choose from several interactive and hands-on breakout sessions throughout the day and learn how SAVI can help you.
***************** [IndyChristian Note: If you're interested in community-focused ministry, you should seriously consider this great opportunity... free of cost, thanks to funding from IUPUI. See you there on the 22nd!]
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centralized media site for Greater Indianapolis Christians. We connect & communicate among 'Driven-Christians in the Racing Capital of
the World' to accelerate the Great Commission!"
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you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from
his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one
in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but
in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..." (Philippians
2)
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