Some truths about faith

" Faith enables us to turn from the approval of the world and seek only the approval of God."

Even though the people mentioned in Heb. 11 saw many great and wonderful acts of God it is impotant to remember that :

Not all men and women of faith received miraculous deliverence.

We must not think that it is about the amount of faith but who our faith is grounded in. Letting the truths of Scripture shine out the lies which so easily entangle us. Alowing us to replace the lies with truth. Knowing that:

" A life of sight depends on self and circumstances. A life of faith depends on God and His certain Word."

Prayer

Lord help me to be an unfashionable, counter cultural, Christian; one whos life is poured out and spent for your kingdom. My I become more and more God intoxicated, which will compel me more and more to know and follow hard after you. May you continue to work Lord on my life in transforming my mind. May this intoxication come from gazing upon you and being blown away by your love and mercy and grace. Lord break my heart for what breaks yours, open up my eyes so that I might see people more how you see them, Help me love the unlovable, give me grace in the times I fall. Lord I ask that through your spirit you continue to kindle within me the fire for missions. Not that missions would be the end but the necessary responsibility of this intoxicated believer. That my life can be poured out and spent for you kingdom knowing that your name will be lifted high and that every tongue will confess that you are God and that you are worthy and that you are Holy. Lord it is only through you that I may come boldly and aproach the throne, which only came by your sacrifice, and it is to you that I cry out. For from YOU and through YOU and to YOU are all things forever and ever and ever.....AMEN

The TRUTH

The truth is that because we have lost touch with God and His Word we have lost the secret both of community( because sin kills neighbor-love) and of our own idenitity ( because at the deepest level we do not know who or what we are, or what we exist for) J.I. Packer

I found this to be very true and very challenging.

VBS

Last week I was vollentold ( that would be a military term for "being told to volenteer for something) at first to work with the Chapel of Hopes Protastant VBS. I really didnt mind back when I was signed up and actually it was my desire the closer I got to it.

SO last week the VBS took place, I think that there were about 200 to 250 kids. My role was to be the game guy. So I had six to somedays 10 highschool and middleschool kids working with me. I of course loved working with the older students and with all of the kids. So five days of high energy games. Could life get any better for those kids, I submit that it could not.

So the chapel here did the same VBS program that south church did back in Lansing.
Power Lab So in this I created this character that I would have to be all week. Since I was the leader for Hyperspeed games I figured that it would be fitting to be Professor Hyperspeed with my assistants being the hyperbuddies. Well I had alot of fun being this character because it required that I be moving around really fast and hyper. I also became the high five guy. The first day I think that I was scary to most of the kids but by the second day they all wanted to give me a high five.

The other side of my role was helping lead the songs. That is with motions and since I am a firm believer that if you want someone to be energized you have to give 10 xs what you want. So I will let your imaginations figure out what that might of looked like.

Well this will bring this to a close. I had an incredible week, I lost my voice, I got to share the gospel message with all of the kids during the game time. I got to show the kids love through being there and engaging with them.

M.O.R.

This last Sunday night after chapel we went to dinner at the foodcourt. While we were eating I was sitting next to a sailor whos name was Rebecca. She mentioned that she wished that she wasnt leaving the next morning to go to sea for a month and a half because she wanted to ask me some questions. So later that evening while we were sitting and talking as a group she asked me the question about how does Jesus and the trinity work. We ended up having to put our conversation on hold because of the events in the room at the time. So we ended up heading to another room where we resumed our conversation. We ended up talking for about two hours. The conversation came to the point of now that you understand who this person of Jesus Christ is what are you going to do with Him. Again more explanation ( and I am leaving out alot because of time) but it got to the point where she asked I dont know how to accept Christ. After sharing the basic understanding and structure she responded with I dont know that I am ready I am just not ready to let go.

I told her that when she came to the point that she was ready she now knew how and that it was just a matter of believing in and putting her faith and trust in Christ finished work for her. I told her to tell someone when she accepted Christ.

Well Praise God I received an email from her tonight ( Thursday night)

"I gave my life to Christ last night, after running, right there at the end of the treadmill on my knees in this dirty gym at sea.

It was perfect. Just wanted you to know. Rebecca "

I feel like celebrating. This is an icredible feeling to know that I was one step in pointing her to Christ. The amazing thing for me is that this is the first person that I have talked to about Christ who has then shared with me that they accepted Christ.

You may be wondering what the title has to do with all of this well since we are associated with the military community and we use acronims all of the time I thougth that this one would be fitting. M.O.R> Ministry of Reconciliation

Facing our giants

I just finished watching the movie Faceing the Giants and in this movie for those of you who havent seen it you have a high school football coach. This coach has everything in life happen to him and it seems like life is at the bottom of the barrell. Then he focuses on God and believes that if you seek God and do everything for his glory then everything will work out. The interesting thing is that by the end of the movie everything that was bad and been fixed and overcome. Leaving you with this underlining idea that if you would just turn to God and believe Him that nothing is impossible with God that everything will work out for the good.

So I say all of this to ask myself the question, What is the underlineing doctrine that is being taught here. Does God really promise that everthing will work out for the good. Is it really true that everthing will get better if we were to just wholly trust God. I mean the picture that is painted in the movie is essentially a coutry music song first sung forward and then reversed.

I think the said and grim reality is that the very teaching that takes place in this movie is some of the very deceptive teaching that is happening in our churches. Even on the level of not being taught neccessarily but definetly you see it in the peoples actions. We need to continually look and examine our lives through the lens of God's word. It is only then that we will be able to see the lies which so easily entangle us.

The good and positive points in the movie is that God does answer prayer, and those prayers of people who are persistent and dedicated. That we will praise him in the wins and we will praise him in the losses. And that football or whatever it may be is and should never be the main and driving forces in our lives. God and his kingdom must be first and formost. What we need most in our own lives and in the lives of our churches is to have a spirit of revival. The kindleing afresh the fire and passion for God and for the supremecy of Christ. That from Him and through Him and to Him are all things; to him be the glory for ever and ever and ever. AMEN