A campaign promise ought to contain some benefit for the voter, shouldn’t it? Well, here are a few promises our Father has made and I think we can call it good considering the source:
Psa 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when
his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Over at www.ChristianAudio.com, this month (Sept 2008), the freebie is In His Steps on mp3 as a free download. You have to sign up for an account with them, if you don’t already have one, and then just enter the coupon code, SEP2008. Here is the description from the site.
Sheldon’s story traces the account of the fictional Reverend Maxwell who challenges himself and his congregation to constantly ask, “What would Jesus do?”
Matthew 6:25-34 – “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I read an article recently detailing the benefit of using self control to gain mental strength. You can read the article in the Albany Times union archives entitled, “Grant funds study of self control” from a gentleman named Mark Muraven. In it an amazing comparison is made to practicing mental restraint in order to gain overall mental strength. Here is a quote from the article,
“Mark Muraven, a social psychologist, theorizes that self-will is a muscle. Exercise it, and it gets stronger.”
To lead is to serve. It’s as simple as that. There is no place for status-seeking, manipulation, and exploitation. The directives on this subject could not be more clear:
“And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called `Benefactors.’ “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” (Luke 22:25-26)
Wow. Powerful for sure. She speaks to a common misconception in the church today which makes people think that they cannot be holy. Yet page after page we see the call to “be holy as I am holy” and the like – with words which tell us the LORD will enable and empower us to do so. So which sin, which area of your life is too powerful or tied down which cannot be overcome and broken by the power of the God who can create a universe with a word?
Last night, I watched this sermon by Shane Claiborne of the Simple Way, an intentional community in the “bad lands” of north Philadelphia. He shares his incredible story of how God has led him throughout his life to learn what it means to take Jesus’ words seriously and really follow him. He was born in east Tennessee and was raised as a Methodist. He went to a “get saved” meeting each year and got born again, again and again. Then he went to Eastern in Pennsylvania and found himself reading an article about homeless people who were being evicted from an abandoned Catholic church. He and 100 others got involved by moving into the church with the homeless and suffering with them while sharing the love of Messiah. I won’t give too much away, because it is a beautiful story. He also interned with Mother Theresa in Calcutta and has done some incredible things in Philadelphia since then.
Next week a number of us will be attending the Family Camp held at Silver Bay YMCA on Lake George, NY. The focus for the week will be the book of 1 John. In preparation for this I have been reading the book through repeatedly in order to acquaint myself with it. There is much to be said about the major themes of abiding, love, fellowship, truth, light, antichrist, and righteousness vs. sin. However, one section in particular has been very striking to me. Each time I read through it I get fascinated by its bold and convicting content.
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Over at www.ChristianAudio.com, this month (Sept 2008), the freebie is In His Steps on mp3 as a free download. You have to sign up for an account with them, if you don’t already have one, and then just enter the coupon code, SEP2008. Here is the description from the site.
Last night, I watched this sermon by Shane Claiborne of 
Next week a number of us will be attending the Family Camp held at Silver Bay YMCA on Lake George, NY. The focus for the week will be the book of 1 John. In preparation for this I have been reading the book through repeatedly in order to acquaint myself with it. There is much to be said about the major themes of abiding, love, fellowship, truth, light, antichrist, and righteousness vs. sin. However, one section in particular has been very striking to me. Each time I read through it I get fascinated by its bold and convicting content.