Check out this movie write up. I can't wait till it comes out this Spring, 2012.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Home Run - The Movie
Home Run - The Movie Gonna be a great movie. I can hardly wait. Will be in theaters at the beginning of baseball season in 2012.
Overcoming the fear of loneliness
Overcoming the fear of loneliness requires understanding God's commitment to you. His fatherhood isn't based upon mood, sentiment or emotion; it is based on his unchanging character and reputation. Everything He is, and claims to be, stands or falls apart, depending on His faithfulness to you. "For the sake of His great name, the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own." 1 Samuel 12:22 NIV. Notice two things in the Scripture: concern for His good name, and the pleasure He takes in being your Father, are why He will never turn His back on you. Your problems don't mean that God is judging or disowning you. Satan would love to convince you of that. He will tell you that you failed God, or that God has failed you in order to make you feel unworthy, hopeless, disowned by God and abandoned. No, generations of believers have sung through their souls’ dark night, "great is thy faithfulness, oh God, my Father." In your circumstances and suffering, "God's loyal love couldn't have run out, His merciful love couldn't have dried up. They’re created new every morning, how great your faithfulness!" Lamentations 3:22-23 TM Suffering in adversity don't cancel His faithfulness, He's "the same yesterday, today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 NKJV He can't love you once, and not love you always. "After you suffer a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling." 1 Peter 5:10 NCV Today, declare, "nothing can ever separate me from God's love."
Celebrate Recovery and the Lord's Prayer
I know this is long, but it was so good, I just had to post it. This is taken from the Life's Healing Choices book by John Baker. We are using this series in our CR Leadership training, and it has really been helpful.
Praying the Scripture may be a new experience for you, but it's a prayer method that brings amazing blessings. Let's look at the Lord's Prayer. You will see how the eight principles of Celebrate Recovery are supported in this prayer. As you pray, you will be able to focus your prayer to avoid the dangers of relapse.
Scripture: "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name..."
Principle 1: Realize I am not God...
Principle 2: Earnestly believe that God exists
Prayer: Father in Heaven, Your name is wonderful and holy. I acknowledge that You hold all power, that You are God and that on my own I am powerless. Without You, I will most certainly relapse into my old hurts, hang-ups and habits.
Scripture: "Your kingdom come..."
Principle 8: Yield myself to God to be used...
Prayer: I pray that Your kingdom will come in my life, that I will yield myself to be used by You, that You can use me to reach out to others with the Good News of Your kingdom and Your healing. Help me to find ways to serve You and others.
Scripture: "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven..."
Principle 5: Voluntarily submit to God's changes...
Prayer: Oh, Lord, I pray that Your will be done in my life. I fight against it so often, but in my heart of hearts, I choose to submit to You. Help me to hold on to that choice. I choose Your will over my willpower; help me not to fall back into old patterns.
Scripture: "Give us today our daily bread..."
Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit everything to Christ's care...
Prayer: Supply me with just what I need for today. Help me to take my recovery one day at a time, not looking too far ahead, but committing all my life and will to Christ's care and control, one day at a time.
Scripture: "Forgive us our debts..."
Principle 4: Openly examine and confess my faults...
Prayer: Forgive me, Lord. I have looked at my life and my heart, and what I have seen is not pretty. You already knew that, and I thank You for loving me anyway and for forgiving me so freely. Thank You for the loving support from others that You have provided along my healing journey.
Scripture: "As we also have forgiven our debtors..."
Principle 6: Evaluate all my relationships...
Prayer: Soften my heart toward those who have harmed me. Teach me, by Your power, to forgive, as You have forgiven me. and give me the courage, the conviction, and the wisdom to make amends where I have harmed others. Help me not to relapse into old patterns of resentment and bitterness.
Scripture: "and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one..."
Principle 7: Reserve a daily time for God
Prayer: Help me to daily spend time with You. I know that time with You is my best defense against relapse and my best offense toward growth. May my time with You create a hedge of protection around me. Amen.
Praying the Scripture may be a new experience for you, but it's a prayer method that brings amazing blessings. Let's look at the Lord's Prayer. You will see how the eight principles of Celebrate Recovery are supported in this prayer. As you pray, you will be able to focus your prayer to avoid the dangers of relapse.
Scripture: "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name..."
Principle 1: Realize I am not God...
Principle 2: Earnestly believe that God exists
Prayer: Father in Heaven, Your name is wonderful and holy. I acknowledge that You hold all power, that You are God and that on my own I am powerless. Without You, I will most certainly relapse into my old hurts, hang-ups and habits.
Scripture: "Your kingdom come..."
Principle 8: Yield myself to God to be used...
Prayer: I pray that Your kingdom will come in my life, that I will yield myself to be used by You, that You can use me to reach out to others with the Good News of Your kingdom and Your healing. Help me to find ways to serve You and others.
Scripture: "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven..."
Principle 5: Voluntarily submit to God's changes...
Prayer: Oh, Lord, I pray that Your will be done in my life. I fight against it so often, but in my heart of hearts, I choose to submit to You. Help me to hold on to that choice. I choose Your will over my willpower; help me not to fall back into old patterns.
Scripture: "Give us today our daily bread..."
Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit everything to Christ's care...
Prayer: Supply me with just what I need for today. Help me to take my recovery one day at a time, not looking too far ahead, but committing all my life and will to Christ's care and control, one day at a time.
Scripture: "Forgive us our debts..."
Principle 4: Openly examine and confess my faults...
Prayer: Forgive me, Lord. I have looked at my life and my heart, and what I have seen is not pretty. You already knew that, and I thank You for loving me anyway and for forgiving me so freely. Thank You for the loving support from others that You have provided along my healing journey.
Scripture: "As we also have forgiven our debtors..."
Principle 6: Evaluate all my relationships...
Prayer: Soften my heart toward those who have harmed me. Teach me, by Your power, to forgive, as You have forgiven me. and give me the courage, the conviction, and the wisdom to make amends where I have harmed others. Help me not to relapse into old patterns of resentment and bitterness.
Scripture: "and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one..."
Principle 7: Reserve a daily time for God
Prayer: Help me to daily spend time with You. I know that time with You is my best defense against relapse and my best offense toward growth. May my time with You create a hedge of protection around me. Amen.
Roots
Let's talk about roots! I'm not talking about the TV series from years ago, I'm talking about the things on the bottom of plants that most people never see. I'm talking about those long, stringy things that hold the plant into the ground. I'm talking about those tender shoots that provide nourishment for the plants. Some of you may have heard me talk about this last night at church, but I think it bears repeating.
David said in Psalms 1:1-4, “How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” HCSB
When David talked about this tree planted beside the streams of water, he said that it does not wither and that it always bears fruit when in season. But what about the tree that's not planted by the water? How does it survive the summer heat? It survives by expanding its root system more and more so that it can extract the most moisture from the ground. Any plumber will tell you that if there is a source of water close to a tree, its roots will grow to that source. In dry climates, root systems can become enormous.
But a shallow root system still does not give stability to the tree. Trees that are native to areas where the soil is soft, or that has a lot of wind, will have a taproot. A taproot is a long single root that grows deep into the ground, anchoring the tree into the ground. Other roots still grow from the tree, which provide the nourishment, but the taproot provides the strength. Try to pull up a elm sapling. For what you see above the ground, there is twice as much taproot underneath. Ever tried pulling out a elm tree stump? Not likely going to happen, unless you dig down and cut thru the taproot, or have a stick of dynamite.
Now that you have a lesson in horticulture, how do you apply this to your spiritual life? Many of us are not planted beside a stream. Most of us are planted in the middle of the field, some of us even in the middle of a desert. In order to survive, we need a massive root system to provide the spiritual nourishment that we need in our life. How do we do this? We do it by reading and studying God's word every day. The more that we understand God's word, the more spiritual nourishment we receive from Him.
But I live in stormy, tumultuous place. I need an anchor that keeps me from being blown over in the winds of life. Did I tell you I live in tornado alley? I need a root system that will keep me secure in the fiercest of winds. The only way to grow that taproot is to have a good relationship with Jesus Christ. Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this [hope] as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” HCSB To establish this anchor in Christ, I have to pray, and I have to pray unceasingly. I have to give every care that I have over to Jesus Christ. Only then will my taproot grow and keep me safe and secure in His love.
David said in Psalms 1:1-4, “How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” HCSB
When David talked about this tree planted beside the streams of water, he said that it does not wither and that it always bears fruit when in season. But what about the tree that's not planted by the water? How does it survive the summer heat? It survives by expanding its root system more and more so that it can extract the most moisture from the ground. Any plumber will tell you that if there is a source of water close to a tree, its roots will grow to that source. In dry climates, root systems can become enormous.
But a shallow root system still does not give stability to the tree. Trees that are native to areas where the soil is soft, or that has a lot of wind, will have a taproot. A taproot is a long single root that grows deep into the ground, anchoring the tree into the ground. Other roots still grow from the tree, which provide the nourishment, but the taproot provides the strength. Try to pull up a elm sapling. For what you see above the ground, there is twice as much taproot underneath. Ever tried pulling out a elm tree stump? Not likely going to happen, unless you dig down and cut thru the taproot, or have a stick of dynamite.
Now that you have a lesson in horticulture, how do you apply this to your spiritual life? Many of us are not planted beside a stream. Most of us are planted in the middle of the field, some of us even in the middle of a desert. In order to survive, we need a massive root system to provide the spiritual nourishment that we need in our life. How do we do this? We do it by reading and studying God's word every day. The more that we understand God's word, the more spiritual nourishment we receive from Him.
But I live in stormy, tumultuous place. I need an anchor that keeps me from being blown over in the winds of life. Did I tell you I live in tornado alley? I need a root system that will keep me secure in the fiercest of winds. The only way to grow that taproot is to have a good relationship with Jesus Christ. Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this [hope] as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” HCSB To establish this anchor in Christ, I have to pray, and I have to pray unceasingly. I have to give every care that I have over to Jesus Christ. Only then will my taproot grow and keep me safe and secure in His love.
Depth perception and perspective
For the past few days, I have been having trouble with my left eye. Not sure what’s going on, but it’s been swelling more and more every day. It has gotten to the point that it is almost shut all the way, leaving me sight in only one eye.
I never realized exactly what this would do to a person. I went to pour cereal in a bowl last night. It was very difficult to see exactly how much cereal was in the bowl. When I poured the milk, I had trouble judging whether or not I was actually pouring into the bowl, or on the table (I made it in the bowl, no messes). My perspective is off. I have no depth perception.
I went on to bed after my late night snack, but I kept thinking about what I was missing with just one eye. Everything that I look at is flat. At first you don’t really notice, but after awhile, you begin to see that things faraway look to be the same distance as things close up.
When I began to think about this in a spiritual way, God began to show me some insights into my own life. How valuable is perspective when we are seeking God, and trying to do His will? How much do we need depth perception so that we can see clearly what God would have us do and say? The first thing that I thought of was in Matthew 7:4-5 “How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Right now, I can feel that plank in my eye.
Any analogy or metaphor is a kind of perspective. For example, if we talk about a "price war" between two stores, we are drawing an analogy between literal wars and the stores' competition in pricing. We invite people to view price competition as a kind of war. In terms of perspectives, we invite them to see competition from the perspective of war. In this sense, any analogy or metaphor is a perspective. The Bible, of course, uses many analogies and metaphors and so provides a multitude of perspectives on all kinds of subjects. The sun is like a strong man running (Ps. 19:5). Wisdom is like a woman who invites guests to her feast (Prov. 9:1-5). The Religious are like the elder brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-2, 11-32). The kingdom of God is like a great stone (Dan. 2:44-45) or like a mustard seed (Luke 13:19). The undersides of leviathan are like jagged potsherds (Job 41:30). And so on.
My perspective on a certain passage in the Bible can be different than yours, due to the fact that we may be going thru different things in our lives, and since the Bible is the Living Word of God, then it can speak different things to different people in different situations.
To keep these different perspectives in accord with God, we have to have depth perception. We have to have a deep understanding of what God is saying to us. How do we get that kind of understanding? We continually study God’s word. We stay constantly in prayer with God. We develop the intimate relationship with Jesus, and we walk with Him daily. We allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, to teach us, and to discern for us what God is telling us thru His words. Jesus spoke to the Pharisee’s, and told them that their sight was not true, when He told them this in Luke 16:15 “[Jesus] said to [the Pharisees], 'You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.”
Look here at the Greek definition of the word sin:
NT Greek: hamartia (hamartia), Pronunciation: 'har-mar-TEE-uh'
Occurrences in KJV: sin (172), sinful (1), offense (1)
Definition:
- A missing of the mark, (Vine Expository Dictionary of NT Words)
- To miss the mark, fail in duty, (Holman's Treasury of Key Bible Words)
It is more than a coincidence that the definition is to miss the mark, and without depth perception and the proper perspective, when shooting, we cannot judge the target correctly, and our aim is off? We may not be able to fully discern the true meaning of the Word of God. The words that we read are only that, words, or Logos. Without the true perspective and depth, those words never become the Rhema, or the living words. They can never come alive for us.
We need to keep both spiritual eyes open so that we can see what God wants us to see, to hear what God wants us to hear, and to say to others what God wants us to say. Without them, we can easily be led astray of the examples that Jesus gave us to live by.
Keep your eyes open, and both eyes focused on the Word of God. Pray continually for discernment, and guidance. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life, and to give you the perspective and depth perception that God wants you to have. 2 Peter 1:5-9 “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” Don’t let yourself be blinded by the world, even if it is just in one eye.
I never realized exactly what this would do to a person. I went to pour cereal in a bowl last night. It was very difficult to see exactly how much cereal was in the bowl. When I poured the milk, I had trouble judging whether or not I was actually pouring into the bowl, or on the table (I made it in the bowl, no messes). My perspective is off. I have no depth perception.
I went on to bed after my late night snack, but I kept thinking about what I was missing with just one eye. Everything that I look at is flat. At first you don’t really notice, but after awhile, you begin to see that things faraway look to be the same distance as things close up.
When I began to think about this in a spiritual way, God began to show me some insights into my own life. How valuable is perspective when we are seeking God, and trying to do His will? How much do we need depth perception so that we can see clearly what God would have us do and say? The first thing that I thought of was in Matthew 7:4-5 “How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Right now, I can feel that plank in my eye.
Any analogy or metaphor is a kind of perspective. For example, if we talk about a "price war" between two stores, we are drawing an analogy between literal wars and the stores' competition in pricing. We invite people to view price competition as a kind of war. In terms of perspectives, we invite them to see competition from the perspective of war. In this sense, any analogy or metaphor is a perspective. The Bible, of course, uses many analogies and metaphors and so provides a multitude of perspectives on all kinds of subjects. The sun is like a strong man running (Ps. 19:5). Wisdom is like a woman who invites guests to her feast (Prov. 9:1-5). The Religious are like the elder brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-2, 11-32). The kingdom of God is like a great stone (Dan. 2:44-45) or like a mustard seed (Luke 13:19). The undersides of leviathan are like jagged potsherds (Job 41:30). And so on.
My perspective on a certain passage in the Bible can be different than yours, due to the fact that we may be going thru different things in our lives, and since the Bible is the Living Word of God, then it can speak different things to different people in different situations.
To keep these different perspectives in accord with God, we have to have depth perception. We have to have a deep understanding of what God is saying to us. How do we get that kind of understanding? We continually study God’s word. We stay constantly in prayer with God. We develop the intimate relationship with Jesus, and we walk with Him daily. We allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, to teach us, and to discern for us what God is telling us thru His words. Jesus spoke to the Pharisee’s, and told them that their sight was not true, when He told them this in Luke 16:15 “[Jesus] said to [the Pharisees], 'You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.”
Look here at the Greek definition of the word sin:
NT Greek: hamartia (hamartia), Pronunciation: 'har-mar-TEE-uh'
Occurrences in KJV: sin (172), sinful (1), offense (1)
Definition:
- A missing of the mark, (Vine Expository Dictionary of NT Words)
- To miss the mark, fail in duty, (Holman's Treasury of Key Bible Words)
It is more than a coincidence that the definition is to miss the mark, and without depth perception and the proper perspective, when shooting, we cannot judge the target correctly, and our aim is off? We may not be able to fully discern the true meaning of the Word of God. The words that we read are only that, words, or Logos. Without the true perspective and depth, those words never become the Rhema, or the living words. They can never come alive for us.
We need to keep both spiritual eyes open so that we can see what God wants us to see, to hear what God wants us to hear, and to say to others what God wants us to say. Without them, we can easily be led astray of the examples that Jesus gave us to live by.
Keep your eyes open, and both eyes focused on the Word of God. Pray continually for discernment, and guidance. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life, and to give you the perspective and depth perception that God wants you to have. 2 Peter 1:5-9 “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” Don’t let yourself be blinded by the world, even if it is just in one eye.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Should we as Christians go back to living under the Torah?
Romans 7:4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh,t the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 4:13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set yout free from the law of sin and death.3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,t God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.t And so he condemned sin in the flesh,4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 9:30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, righteousness that is by faith;31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.33 As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."t
Romans 10:2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet,"t and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."t10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Messianic Judaism is a syncretic [1] religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] It blends evangelical Christian theology with elements of Jewish terminology and ritual.
Messianic Judaism states that Jesus is not merely a man, but the Jewish Messiah and "God the Son" (one person of the Trinity), and that salvation is only achieved through acceptance of Jesus as one's savior. Any Jewish laws or customs that are followed are cultural and do not contribute to attaining salvation. Belief in the messiahship and divinity of Jesus, which Messianic Judaism shares, is viewed by many Christian denominations[ and Jewish religious movements[ as being a defining distinction between Christianity and Judaism.
Galatians 4:4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.t6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,"Abba ,t Father."7 So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
To this, I would say that Jesus was born under the law, and He was raised under the law. Jesus died under the law, so that His death might redeem those who were slaves to and under the law. Jesus’ death fulfilled the law, which means that the law is no more. To fulfill something means to complete it. Jesus’ death completed the law, which in turn freed man to not live under the law anymore. His resurrection brought about consecration, justification, and sanctification thru God’s grace, not by man’s law.
The original law, given by God to Moses, the 10 commandments, became so twisted and corrupted by man over the centuries that it was no longer the law of God, but of man. Jesus was questioned about which law was the greatest, and He stated two: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your spirit. The second was to love your neighbor as yourself. If we live by these two laws, and we follow them to the best of our ability, then the other 8 will take care of themselves. There will be no need for any other laws, or any misinterpretation of them.
Man began to find loopholes in the 10 commandments, and man decided that more laws needed to be written to cover the loopholes. More loopholes were exploited, and more laws written. Eventually, the whole Judaic law became corrupted by man for man, under the pretense that all these laws were God given laws. Jesus’ birth and subsequent death ended man’s corruption, and brought us out of the pressure of the Pharisee’s and the Sadducee’s thumb, severing the bond of an unjust and tyrannical slave master, and into an the family of God as an adopted son, receiving the full rights and privileges of a true son of God, i.e. Jesus.
Under the Judaeical laws, sanctification and salvation came only thru works by doing the prescriptions set down by the laws. What was forgotten was the promises made by God to Abram, Isaac and Jacob; those promises that did not come to them by fulfilling and upholding the law, but simply by their faith in God.
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