Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Influence of a Godly Life
The following quote is from a sermon titled "You Are the Light of the World" by John MacArthur, which can be found on the Grace to You website:
"Listen, the way to change the world isn't to change it politically, it isn't to rewrite the laws, or march, or to try and use technical paraphernalia for altering society. The way to change the world is to infiltrate it with godliness, righteousness, and holiness, and affect it from the inside out. Those other things aren't wrong, but they will be powerless unless our lives are what they ought to be. Think about it this way: never has the church been more involved in social action in recent history in our country. Never have we been so preoccupied with endeavoring to see Christianity in government, and what is the result? A society that is more immoral than it has ever been, because that's not the way to do it. The way to do it is the influence of a godly life." John MacArthur
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Matthew 5:13
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." Luke 6:46-49
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, 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." 2 Peter 1:3-8
Monday, July 16, 2012
Samaritan's Purse Feeding Children in South Sudan
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
Monday, July 9, 2012
Are Youth Groups Beneficial or Even Biblical?
I’m posting a link to a documentary on church youth groups and
family-integrated worship that is a must see if you are at all involved in a
church. It doesn’t matter if you have children or if you participate in youth
ministry, because this documentary speaks to so much more. When all is said and
done it speaks to family, corporate worship, discipleship and how youth groups and
youth-segregated worship services are, in many cases, eroding Biblical bonds in
the family and the Body of Christ.
Created by the Leclerc Brothers, two young men from my local community, and presented by Philip Leclerc, the
documentary traces the history of youth groups and Sunday school, showing how
the public school model quickly infected the church. The ripple effect is that
now, in our churches and in our homes, adults and children are spiritually
“Divided.” Watch the film here:
It’s amazing how we go through the motion of
self-perpetuating human traditions like Sunday school, youth group, seminary-trained
youth pastors, confirmation class and 3-times a week church in spite of the
fact that many of us have never done a Biblical exegesis on any of it; we’ve
never tested it against Scripture. I’m not saying that there is one way to do
things. I’m saying that all of the above traditions are often the only way
things are done and wielded as church mandates, with little or no Biblical foundation to
support it.
If a church wants to have youth group, fine. And on the
occasions that folks can speak to its benefits, great! But for those who realize
it isn’t Biblical, and that youth group actually can pull families and churches
apart generationally and create spiritually lazy parents, families, and
churches, they don’t have to go along. They can confidently say “no thank you”
to youth programming and look to the Bible to see how they are to parent their
children and train them up in the faith. They can, and must, reassert their
Biblical role as parents (and for those who defend youth groups due to the dysfunction of some of the youth's home life: that's where adult mentors drawn from the larger congregation comes in; intergenerational interaction at all levels of church). That’s what is great about “Divided” the documentary.
It promotes right Biblical thinking on family-integrated and extended church-family church.
It’s sad to think that this will be a “new” concept to many. It’s sad to think it took me 21 years to come to this same conclusion through my own experience as a youth leader and as the parent of two sons with their own experiences in everything from Christian youth conferences and rock festivals, youth mission trips, “children’s church” and youth group.
It’s sad to think that this will be a “new” concept to many. It’s sad to think it took me 21 years to come to this same conclusion through my own experience as a youth leader and as the parent of two sons with their own experiences in everything from Christian youth conferences and rock festivals, youth mission trips, “children’s church” and youth group.
No “authority” in the corporate church ought pressure anyone
into programming that divides the generations, or teach, “This is what good
Christian parents do.” Christian parents go to God in prayer, seeking His
guidance in His Word, relying on the counseling of the Holy Spirit to lead them
into all truth about the training of their children, the fellowship of the
family and the gathering together of the Body of Christ.
“Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place
his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who
brought them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not
hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew
19:13-14
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in
spirit and in truth.” John 4:23
Thursday, July 5, 2012
If the Son Sets You Free You are Free Indeed
Bethlehem. Barb Harwood, photo
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with
ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2
Corinthians 3:18).
That is freedom; being freed more and more from our selves,
into Christ-likeness. Christ-likeness is freedom from self.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom…” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
The Spirit of the Lord, when He comes to live in us, breaks the chains to our old ways that tripped us up, removes the fear of death that causes so much personal dysfunction, and allows us to start over in life with Him. Jesus asks us to walk out from between the walls that imprison us into His love, mercy and grace; His freedom.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John
8:36).
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set
me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).
Thursday, June 28, 2012
America the Beautiful
Since last July 4, 2011, I’ve traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico; Spokane and Seattle, Washington; Olympic National Park, Washington; Chicago, Illinois; Breckenridge, Colorado; Austin, Texas; central Florida, including Winter Park and Mount Dora; Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and Portland, Oregon.
What I found is, when I get out into the land, leaving politics, shopping centers, television viewing and myself behind, I arrive at places of beauty. Even on my front porch, where the angle of sunlight changes with the hour, beauty resides. My prayer for this nation is that the privilege of living here is driven home by the natural beauty of the land and the warmth of the majority of her people and cities. I, for one, can’t think of anywhere else I would rather live.
The following pictures are from my travels to some of the places mentioned above. We live in a beautiful land!
Barb Harwood, photos
Spokane, WA
Spokane, WA
Portland, OR
Austin, TX
Austin, TX
Breckenridge, CO
Breckenridge, CO
Breckenridge, CO
Breckenridge, CO
Olympic National Park, WA
Olympic National Park, WA
Olympic National Park, WA
Olympic National Park, WA
Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA
Drive from Spokane to Seattle, WA
Santa Fe, New Mexico
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
Katharine Lee Bates
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
Katharine Lee Bates
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Coffee Bikes in Rwanda
What's not to love about bicycles and coffee? The joy and ease they add to life is immeasurable. Which is why I was delighted to stumble across this video today:
Read more about the project here:
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:..." Ecclesiastes 4:9
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Facebook and Marriage
As long as I'm on the topic of the Internet, the May 21, 2012 issue of SmartMoney featured an article titled, "Does Facebook Wreck Marriages?" written by Quentin Fottrell. Read it here:
"Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path." Psalm 119:127-128
"Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me." Psalm 119:133
"Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble." Psalm 119:165
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:7-8
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