God is good!

I just wanted to let you all know that we saw one of our visitors get saved tonight! God is awesome and he is doing great things at ASU! Please pray for him. His name is Kevin and he asked that we pray for him as he starts a new life. Thanks for all your prayers!

Testimony

I just wanted to let you all know what God is doing over here at ASU, because he is doing some awesome things! This week IBC and Tri-City have had some amazing messages about being filled with the Spirit and live a life of power and that has really set up what has been going on at ASU this week. If you get a chance go to their website, www.tricityministries.org and you can listen to some of them online. Tonight started our outreach week at ASU, and at first it was really discouraging. We had gone on friday night and plastered signs and posters all over campus about what was going on, but almost all of them were taken down sometime over the weekend. On top of that, a really small group from the church showed up. It was really discouraging, but God let it all happen to show that it isn't going to be us that does the work over at ASU. We started praying and just passing out flyers hoping that we could at least get some visitors to come later in the week, but God gave us so much more. We had two stay for the service and several other contacts who wanted to stay but "just couldn't" tonight. The guy who preaced gave a message about how only God can satisfy and one of the girls that stayed was telling us afterwards that that was her and how she had been searching for awhile. She did not not make a profession of faith, but I think she is very close, she did promise to come tomorrow and throughout the rest of the week. God is so awesome and he is so powerful. He will work through us as long as we are broken before him and willing to be filled with his power! Please keep praying for us!

"May it be my glory to be humble and broken"

Surprise! I found something in Jeremiah!

I’m reading the Bible in a few different places right now, one of them being Jeremiah. Jeremiah is one of those books that are a little more difficult for me to read, and I’m not always sure just exactly what I’m supposed to be learning from it. Well, Saturday night, I was feeling a little low when I realized I still had about half of the book left. I picked it up, and I happened to be reading chapter 29. With my little faith, I didn’t expect to glean a whole lot, but, I read anyway, so I could get "through it." Well of course, chapter 29 turned out to be really amazing! It has the famous verses, "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. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

The idea of searching for God with all of my heart really struck me. Sometimes it’s easy to spend time with God, but not really have my whole heart there. I’ve been spending time lately in Psalm 119, and I’ve also seen this a lot there.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart (v. 2).

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments (v.10).

Give me understanding and I shall keep they law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart (v.34).

These are just a few of the verses that show David’s love and thirst for God and his Word. David wasn't haphazardly reading his Bible, or just spending a few minutes here and there with God when it fit in. He was continually meditating and rejoicing in God's Word!

When is it going to be? Will you be ready? - Revisited

Erika had a great article on being ready for death. I would like to pirate her title and add to the concept. Yet I don't want to necessarily think of death, but ultimately of life. When is it going to be? Will you be ready? Jesus is coming again. Some believers would mock and scoff and state that I make too much of the second coming, just another "dispensational date setter." But the second coming is intensely practical to our lives. 1 John 3:2-3 states, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

Do you want to live purely? Live as if Jesus was coming back today. If he came back now, would you be ready?

Prayer Request

I just heard this about 30 mins ago. Mrs. Schroeder is in the hospital. I am not really sure why because no one really knew why we just heard. I believe its because her heart rate went up. If you could just pray for her and the family. If anyone else knows anything else you can post it if you want to, and if I find out anything else I will also post.

When is it going to be? Will you be ready?

I wanted to ask. Do you know when you are going to die? No, of course you don't. But are you ready to go? The Lord can take you at any time. Whether you are 15 or 55 or 95 or however old. Are you really ready? When you go through your day what do you think about? What do you say to your friends, teachers, parents, and those around you? When you walk into a room and when you leave do people think you are serving God or serving yourself? Doing what God wants you to do or doing what you want to do?
Are you serving God and obeying what He tells you to do? Or is your point of view, "Oh I am just going to do what I want today and say whatever I want and be how I want to be."

I just want to encourage you guys to do what's right. The Lord can come or take you at any time. Are you ready? Will the Lord say Well done my good and faithful servant? Just think about how you go through your days. Is it for yourself or God?

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Deuteronony 13:4
Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

Praise/Prayer Request

There is some good news and some bad news. Let's start with the bad.

Some of you know that last night someone or some people broke into the Waycaster's house. They took purses, wallets, all the keys to the cars and house, some food, and some other things. So if you could pray for them because they have to do a lot of things.

Well, the good news is that no one got hurt. I mean the robber could have hurt any of them. I think the Lord was watching over them all. Isn't it wonderful how great the Lord is? He protects us every second or our lives.

Psalms 119:117
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Live Like a Christian

I was just reading an excert from a letter from an atheist to a Christian. He spoke of how Christians say they love God and then do nothing about it. He says we practically stand by and watch them all die. He compared it to standing on a street corner and watching people run in front of a bus and die. And we do nothing! How could we say we love God and not love the people He loves. Are we just being hypocrites? In 1 John 4:7 it says "Behold, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." So you say you believe the Bible. My challenge to you is start living like it!

Joseph

I'm telling a story about Joseph for Jr. Church on Sunday, so he's been on my mind lately. I think that Joseph is my favorite Bible character. There is just so much to learn from his life! A huge thing that always strikes me every time I read the story is how he was content and serving God in every situation. Joseph wasn't focused on himself and all of the things that had gone "wrong" in his life; he was focused on others. He did his best work for Potiphar and was a servant even in the prison. I love to read this story and see how God worked every detail out in Joseph's life, and how amazing His plan is. It's easy for me to read a Bible story I know well, and gloss over parts of it, but being in prison for two years and all the other things Joseph went through had to be really hard! I'm thankful for the reminder from Joseph's life to be content and trusting God in every situation, no matter what it is. Even though we can't always see it right away, His plan is always good!

When I was at camp this summer, I heard a very good message on Joseph called Prisons, Pits & Palaces...if any of you have time you can download the sermon and handout here.

Deuteronomy 31:8
And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.

God Works in Mysterious Ways

Alright, my dad has been really straying from God for a long while. He used to be a really, really spiritual person and actually, I believe deep down he still is, because he has a good knowledge of the Bible and the Christian faith, he's taught me a LOT. It's been a long time since he's read the Bible, but here's my praise.

Last night, he was outside, and I started having an interesting conversation with him. It was basically about a lot of biblical stuff, the KJV Bible and about people from the Bible and such, and I got out a Bible, and he took it from me and read it! My mom told me that she really believes God is working. It's been 2 YEARS since he's read God's Word, so I'm just really, really thankful for that.

I understand and know that God IS in control and that He's working through everything, and He reminded me of that last night after I was done talking to my dad. Today, I just want to remind everyone to fully rely on God, because God NEVER fails and He always knows what's right for you.

Devotional Challenge

Here's a challenge for any of you who have some extra time on your hands:

Read your Bible cover-to-cover in 52 days.

In order to do this, find a year long Bible reading plan (such as http://www.verseoftheday.com/year1.html) and read 7 days each day. It should only take on an average of an hour and twenty five minutes (It takes 72 hours to read the Bible outloud at "pulpit rate.") each day.

Any takers?

Prayer Request

I have a prayer request.....My Aunt,Uncle,and Cousin are coming over from England in May!! YAY!!!! But they are not saved, and I would ask that you all pray for them! Their names are Auntie Vicki, Uncle John, and Emma. My mom has been talking to them about everyday to build good relationships with them and so far she has had a couple opportunities to wittness but they didn't accept anything.

They said that they would go to church with us when they were here which is very exciting so you all can see them! Just pray that God would do His will, and we could see them get saved! Thank you all so much for doing this for me!

I also ask that you would pray for my family right now as we are having a rough time with things going on in our family(like my dad adopting kids)!!!!!!

A Perspective on Forgiveness

Over the past few months I have been slowly working through The Lord's Prayer by Thomas Watson, a Puritan writer. While speaking concerning the phrase, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," he had these words to say (p. 245):

Forgiveness of sin is the sauce which sweetens all the comforts of this life. As guilt embitters our comforts, and puts wormwood into our cup, so pardon sweetens all. . . . Health and pardon, estate and pardon, relish well. Pardon of sin gives a sanctified title and a delicious taste to every comfort. . . . It is observable that Christ joins these two together, "Give us our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses," as if Christ would teach us there is little comfort in daily bread unless sin be forgiven.

This short quotation really made me think about how needy we are of God's forgiveness in order to even enjoy the blessings that He abundantly gives to us. Thank God for His matchless forgiveness!

Fear Not - Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

I just wanted to say Why fear? I mean we don't have to fear anything. God is with us every single second of the day and He will gave us the strength to get through everything that is His will. He will help you through and lead you the right way. He will give you strength whether its big or small. Like taking a test, playing an instrument, witnessing, playing a sport, when you are alone, or anything else. The Lord with protect you and keep you.

My God Loves Me!

God's love is so amazing to me! Jeremiah 31:3 says, "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." That is so overwhelming to me...that God really loves me! It's pretty easy for me to see God's power, but if God was all powerful and didn't love me, that would not be a good thing. I'm so thankful for the God that I have.

His love is perfect. Nothing that I do will make God love me more or less...He already loves me with perfect love. "If I hear 'well done thou good and faithful servant,' it's not because my godliness is so stunning, but because my heavenly Father loves me" (Jim Berg). Psalm 18:19b says, "He delivered me, because He delights in me." That is incredible...He delights and takes pleasure in me! I can't understand that.

I need to be constantly reminding myself about what is true about God, and thinking about it. When I remember how much God loves me, it stops my worry in its tracks. I need to pray for God to show me his love and to help me understand it, like Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:18-19, that I "may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

I love the hymn, "Blessed Assurance." The last verse says:

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

I pray that I would understand more and more of God's love for me. That I would continually be "looking above, filled with His goodness and lost in His love."

Marvelous, Infinite, Matchless Grace

First, I would like to reintroduce myself to the group. Perhaps some are new and do not remember me. Perhaps some who have gone before have forgotton about me. I left the youth group in 2001 when I graduated HS and attended NBBC for 4 years. In the summer of 2003 I interned under Pastor Scott Olson. In the summer of '04 I was a youth sponsor. In 2005 I graudated and moved to Minneapolis, got married and started work on a MDiv from Central Baptist Seminary. If you don't remember me, I'm the guy that used to write the devotionals for camp/camps.

Now I am writing to respond to a post by Billy a few weeks ago. Billy posted some great theology on the topic of grace. I completely agree with what he said, but I feel that more must be added to the post to give a fuller exposition of grace. The reason that I feel that I must post this fact, is that I have had several friends, roomates, and peers (whom I previously ministered with in different ways) focus so strongly on grace, that they took grace as a license for what could be perceived as sinful behavior (drinking, etc.). Of course Romans 6 lays out the fact the we should not sin in order for grace to abound. I actually believe that there is a stronger set of verses in Scripture that give a fuller explanation of the function of grace in the life of a Christian.

Titus 2:11-15 states:
11) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15) These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Billy has already explained v. 11 in his post, so that I have no need to repeat his statements.

This passage really gives to us one point on what grace teaches the believer. Grace teaches the believer that we ought to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world. The word "teach" is the verb form of the word that was used by the ancient Greeks (both classical, such as Plato, and contemporary with the New Testament, such as Plutarch) for education. Grace formally educates us as in a school.

Grace educates us to live:
Soberly - look at all of the uses of the word "sober" in Titus 2. You would think that Paul had a serious point to make with the word "sober." Sober, simply put, is right thinking (orthodoxy) that leads to right feelings.

Righteously - Our judicial (legal) position before God the father through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ. We are to live in the light of the righteousness that has been given to us.

Godly - Piety - speaking of our personal relationship with God.

"in this present world" - literally "in the now age" - Speaks of in this present time, or in this dispensation of the church. Here's how we ought to live in the church age because of Grace.

But how do we live in a manner that thinks right, that works in its legal position of righteousness, and in a pious relationship with God? Paul tells us two ways:

1. By means of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts. Ungodliness is a negative word with the same root word as "godliness" in v 12. That is to say, "impiety," or that which causes a rift in the relationship with the father. Worldly lusts are lusts and temptations that lead us away from the relatioship. Deny anything that gets in the way with your relationship with God.

2. By means of looking for Christ's return. Jesus is coming again! He is coming to take His glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, with Him into the clouds, to wed to His beloved Bride! This is the blessed hope of the believer. He is also returning bodily to the earth to set up His kingdom which will last for a thousand years, and then ushering in the eternal age. This is the glorious appearing. Are you looking and waiting earnestly for Christ to return? Are you living your life in a manner that if Christ would return today he would find you watching and waiting?

(As an interesting side note: There is a grammatical construction in the original that makes "God" and "Savior" describe the same person: Jesus Christ - thus giving a clear reference that Christ Jesus is God/Deity.)

Are you living in the lessons of Grace? Are you living while thinking right with right affectiosn towards God? Are you living in light of your legal position before God? Are you living in a right relationship with Him? Have you denied yourself everything that gets in the way with a relationship with Him? Are you looking and waiting and living in a manner that if Christ returned TODAY he would say, "Well Done?"

I hope you are. The grace that brings salvation is wonderful! The lessons that we learn from that grace lead us to live more piously day by day before God.

Thank God

We need to thank the Lord for everything He has done for us. Sending His only Son to die on the cross for our sins so we don't have to take the punishment of sin. Loving us everyday even though we sin and don't always obey Him. Keeping us. Giving us things we need. Putting things in our life that help us grow in Him. Always keeping His promises. Giving us a great family and friends and people who love us. Protecting us through hard and good times. And lots more things that I can mention. We should be thankful for what God has given us and be content with what we have.

Psalms 75:1
Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks,unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

Psalms 106:1
Praise ye the Lord.O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.

2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.

Pray always

Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

We should always pray to the Lord.We can tell Him anything.He should be our best friend.We can ask Him anything.He is always there for us and He wants to hear from us.We might get mad if one of our friends doesn't talk to us one day at school or something.How do you think God feels when we don't talk to Him at all for more than one day.Except maybe when we eat we say a quick pray just so you can eat dinner.

The Lord wants to hear from you. Even though He knows everything He still wants you to pray to Him.He also wants you to ask for things.When you ask for things you need to believe that we will receive it.

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe the ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Comparing

God has been reminding me lately not to compare myself with other people, but just to use all the talents He has given me for His glory. In 1 Corinthians 10:12b it says, "but they meausuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." It's easy for me to get intimidated when I see someone else doing something so much better than I will ever be able to do it. God has given all the abilities that He wants me to have, and I need to be using them all for Him, even if humanly speaking I'm "not the best." I think it's encouraging that in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), Jesus rewarded the man with five talents just the same as the man with two talents, because they had both been faithful. Jesus wasn't concerned about the ammount of talents, but with what being done with the talents.

1 Peter 4:10-11 says, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the abilitiy which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever."

I just need to humbly serve God through the strength that He gives, and be a good steward of the talents and abilitities I've been given, for God's glory.

Elijah – A Portrait of God’s Sovereignty

One of the dire needs that Christians have is to feast and meditate upon the truths of God’s Word that are given to us in a worship service setting. It is common for a believer to be listening attentively, devouring the truths of God’s Word, but then to promptly forget what was said as soon as the final “Amen” is spoken and the other cares of life quickly reenter the picture.

Understanding this own need in my own life, I try to make a habit of taking notes that can be reflected upon later. Another thing that I believe would be helpful is to discuss what the Lord has taught us or reminded us of when His Word is shared. With that thought in mind, I would like to encourage a regular reflection upon the preached Word of God here at this blog. This does not mean that every sermon needs to be completely rehashed or even mentioned, but it is a call for us to meditate on what we have heard so that we might not soon forget what God is seeking to teach us. This is another area that I trust will not be something that is confined to this blog, but that will reach the lunch table, sidewalk, etc.

This previous Sunday morning, Pastor Schaal’s insight on the sovereignty of God in the episode in Elijah’s life recorded in 1 Kings 17 was a wonderful reminder to me concerning the depth of God’s sovereignty. Specifically concerning vv. 3-7, this statement jumped out at me: “God’s hand is in both the provision and the lack of provision.” What a concept to meditate upon! Elijah was in God’s will, both when the brook was flowing and when it had dried!

Sometimes, God’s sovereignty is something that Christians “deal with” instead of rejoice in. What a shame! Elijah learned so much about his God through that episode that I am sure he never forgot. I hope that you and I will not forget that truth either. Your view of God has a significant impact on how you view you current situation, whether it be “good” or “bad.”

For further study on this subject, I would highly recommend that you purchase and read Not By Chance: Learning to Trust a Sovereign God by Layton Talbert, a seminary professor at Bob Jones University. It may be the best book outside of the Bible that I have ever read. I believe it is currently available in the church bookstore, and if it is not, it can be ordered.