Matthew 25: 1 - 13
Kingdom of heaven is like: 10 bridesmaids
All:
took their lamps to meet the bridegroom.
fell asleep
awoke and prepared their lamps
Foolish:
didn't take enough oil
started running out of oil
asked the other 5 for some of their oil
went to find oil and while gone missed the bridegrooms coming
came back and found door locked, called out to be let in.
Wise:
took more than enough oil
didn't have enough for their lamp and the others
told the others to go find more oil
bridegroom came, they were ready, went with bridegroom to the marriage feast
Bridegroom:
came at midnight with a shout.
took five virgins that were ready to marriage feast
told other five who came back later, he did not know them.
Focus: Keep watch, Continue to put oil in your lamp and have a supply, don't lose focus and quit cultivating intimacy with God, focus at the end of chapter 24 also
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, October 06, 2008
First Answer to Prayer
Even though I gave my life to Christ in the eighth grade, I didn't immediately take off in growth. I never really had any really strong examples to follow as far as people walking with God.
I do remember the first prayer other than salvation that the Lord answered. I think one of the biggest enemies in my life before I knew Christ and even afterward was fear. In the ninth grade there were a couple of guys who were older than I was that liked to pick on me and because of fear I would back down too often from these bullies. I remember crying out to God for help. Please Help Lord was my theological magnificat of prayer. Shortly after this prayer I was walking down the hallway at school and one of these fellows came up to me and hit me with a school book or something similar to that. To my own surprise I just reacted and punched him in the nose. From that day on this fellow and the others began to leave me alone. I knew in my heart it had been a moment of Gods boldness in me to conquer my fear and take up for myself. Theologically I don't know if punching someone fit, but for me God was helping me conquer fear.
I do remember the first prayer other than salvation that the Lord answered. I think one of the biggest enemies in my life before I knew Christ and even afterward was fear. In the ninth grade there were a couple of guys who were older than I was that liked to pick on me and because of fear I would back down too often from these bullies. I remember crying out to God for help. Please Help Lord was my theological magnificat of prayer. Shortly after this prayer I was walking down the hallway at school and one of these fellows came up to me and hit me with a school book or something similar to that. To my own surprise I just reacted and punched him in the nose. From that day on this fellow and the others began to leave me alone. I knew in my heart it had been a moment of Gods boldness in me to conquer my fear and take up for myself. Theologically I don't know if punching someone fit, but for me God was helping me conquer fear.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Bible Study
"The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives."
Dwight L. Moody
"All of our efforts in Bible study are valueless if in the final analysis we do not change our characters and bring them more in conformity with Jesus Christ."
Rick Warren
Studying the bible will change the way we think, which will change the way we are, which will change what we do.
BA
Dwight L. Moody
"All of our efforts in Bible study are valueless if in the final analysis we do not change our characters and bring them more in conformity with Jesus Christ."
Rick Warren
Studying the bible will change the way we think, which will change the way we are, which will change what we do.
BA
Friday, September 26, 2008
Healthy living
My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body." Proverbs 4: 20-22
Monday, September 08, 2008
Giving
"The hole you give through is the hole you receive through."
Keith A. Craft on Leadershipology.com
Suffering
I relate to this letter by Fenlon.
"I am amazed at the power that comes to us through suffering: we are worth nothing without the cross. Of course, I tremble and agonize while it lasts, and all my words about the beneficial effects of suffering vanish under the torture. But when it is all over, I look back on the experience with deep appreciation, and am ashamed that I bore it with so much bitterness. I am learning a great deal from my own foolishness!"
Let Go - Francis Fenlon
"I am amazed at the power that comes to us through suffering: we are worth nothing without the cross. Of course, I tremble and agonize while it lasts, and all my words about the beneficial effects of suffering vanish under the torture. But when it is all over, I look back on the experience with deep appreciation, and am ashamed that I bore it with so much bitterness. I am learning a great deal from my own foolishness!"
Let Go - Francis Fenlon
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Love of Scripture
If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures.
--Daniel Webster
--Daniel Webster
Who is in Charge
I had lunch with a friend this week. As I reflected upon lunch I was remembering this verse from Galatians 1:1
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead, and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:
The above scripture points out that Paul's calling was not from men or through men. In other words Paul isn't an apostle because a man handed him a diploma or an agency gave him that title. He doesn't minister in a local body because man put him there. The principle here is that God is the one who calls us and empowers us to do what he has called us to be.
As we mature as Christians God will take us through processes that help mold His image and nature in our character. He does this by given us specific life lessons in our day to day lives. God will give you times where you have favor with men or agencies of men and from a human eye it could look like they are promoting you. The test here is remember that it is God who calls and God who put us forward or promotes us. The first test comes when we are promoted by men or an agency of man (not that we really are, God promotes us but that is what the perception is) and are challenged to think we have earned that promotion, when the truth is we were faithful and God has promoted us. When it is in our thinking that men or an agency of man promotes us then we are vulnerable to the expectations of those men and our own expectations of that those men should do for us. There comes a second testing time when we don't have the favor of men or an agency of men. Again this tests whether our faith is in Christ alone. I think it is a given that these two processing situations will come into our lives that we can know that God alone is our supply. He is the one who calls, He is the one who appoints.
Having said this, I believe a second lesson is to be respectful of agencies or denominations or seminaries. God can call us to be involved in all of these because they are the place He is teaching us or ministering through us or allowing us to be stewards of the Kingdom of God. But these systems are not our primary source, they are just the environments God calling has us in at that time.
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead, and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:
The above scripture points out that Paul's calling was not from men or through men. In other words Paul isn't an apostle because a man handed him a diploma or an agency gave him that title. He doesn't minister in a local body because man put him there. The principle here is that God is the one who calls us and empowers us to do what he has called us to be.
As we mature as Christians God will take us through processes that help mold His image and nature in our character. He does this by given us specific life lessons in our day to day lives. God will give you times where you have favor with men or agencies of men and from a human eye it could look like they are promoting you. The test here is remember that it is God who calls and God who put us forward or promotes us. The first test comes when we are promoted by men or an agency of man (not that we really are, God promotes us but that is what the perception is) and are challenged to think we have earned that promotion, when the truth is we were faithful and God has promoted us. When it is in our thinking that men or an agency of man promotes us then we are vulnerable to the expectations of those men and our own expectations of that those men should do for us. There comes a second testing time when we don't have the favor of men or an agency of men. Again this tests whether our faith is in Christ alone. I think it is a given that these two processing situations will come into our lives that we can know that God alone is our supply. He is the one who calls, He is the one who appoints.
Having said this, I believe a second lesson is to be respectful of agencies or denominations or seminaries. God can call us to be involved in all of these because they are the place He is teaching us or ministering through us or allowing us to be stewards of the Kingdom of God. But these systems are not our primary source, they are just the environments God calling has us in at that time.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Remembering Process
It is interesting to look back and see how God develops areas of your life. I had a friend recently comment on my facebook blog about a time when I was in college where myself and three other guys took a whole evening and spent time in worship and prayer. This is a reflection of the furthering of that journey.
My worship journey began in the early 80's.
In the early 80's when at Tech I began to develop a love for intimate worship. Much of this was because in an atmosphere of worship and prayer is where I began to encounter the presence of God. This happened primarily in home bible studies with other college students in my college years. After college I was able to attend some churches where being open to the Holy Spirit in an atmosphere of worship was a primary focus.
In college I began listening to Hosanna type worship stuff. Songs were coming out of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Then in the later 80's I began to enjoy much of the CFNI (Christ for the nations worship). In the early 90's I went out to Los Angeles to work on my MDiv at Fuller seminary and started running into alot of Vineyard people. My wife and I ended up at Vineyard Christian Fellowship when John Wimber was there and the music as well as the presence of God through the Holy Spirit was very strong. Worship leaders like Andy Park, Eddie Espinosa, David Ruis and Larry Hampton became common place for us. Vineyards paradigm was for worship to be horizontal. John Wimber wanted people to sing directly to God not about God. The Vineyard recognized that intimacy was directly related to people singing straight to God.
There seem to be so many streams of worship these days. There is integrity music, Vineyard stuff, the Passion worship leaders, Hillsong, Desperation Band, all the worship leaders at International House of Prayer and countless others.
My worship journey began in the early 80's.
In the early 80's when at Tech I began to develop a love for intimate worship. Much of this was because in an atmosphere of worship and prayer is where I began to encounter the presence of God. This happened primarily in home bible studies with other college students in my college years. After college I was able to attend some churches where being open to the Holy Spirit in an atmosphere of worship was a primary focus.
In college I began listening to Hosanna type worship stuff. Songs were coming out of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Then in the later 80's I began to enjoy much of the CFNI (Christ for the nations worship). In the early 90's I went out to Los Angeles to work on my MDiv at Fuller seminary and started running into alot of Vineyard people. My wife and I ended up at Vineyard Christian Fellowship when John Wimber was there and the music as well as the presence of God through the Holy Spirit was very strong. Worship leaders like Andy Park, Eddie Espinosa, David Ruis and Larry Hampton became common place for us. Vineyards paradigm was for worship to be horizontal. John Wimber wanted people to sing directly to God not about God. The Vineyard recognized that intimacy was directly related to people singing straight to God.
There seem to be so many streams of worship these days. There is integrity music, Vineyard stuff, the Passion worship leaders, Hillsong, Desperation Band, all the worship leaders at International House of Prayer and countless others.
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