2012 Pastor's Aprreciation Breakfast w/Chip Ingram

2012 Pastors Appreciation Breakfast from am880wrfd on GodTube.

Intentional Prayer

Are you intentionally spending time with the Father in prayer? Do you have a special place and a special time to meet with the Sovereign, Transcendent God of the Universe... The One true God?

Prayer is multi-faceted. It offers so much to the health of our life and our soul when we exercise it intentionally, genuinely, passionately, and frequently.

Mark Batterson, author of The Circle Maker, says, "If you establish a prayer routine, your life will be anything but routine... When we pray to God regularly, irregular things happen on a regular basis."

He says, "When we give more of ourselves to God, God will give more of Himself to us."

God invented prayer for you and me to cultivate a connection and an intimate relationship with Him... to reward us with a personal relationship like no other. He invented prayer so we can worship Him... The Creator of the Universe; and, so He can bless us with the things we need in the relationship.

Intentional prayer paves the way for intimacy and a relationship that we can only strive for with others on earth.

However, prayer can sometimes become selfish, one-sided conversations, where we make a list of request to receive the things we want and the healing we need; or the healing we desire for others. Often we decide prayer is just one big flip of a coin.

It is this thinking and this action that leads to a disconnect. We can talk to God the rest of our lives and never feel connected to Him, if everything is based upon our wants, our will, and a quick request thrown up in the random passing of our day!

How is your prayer life? Is it based on your requests, or a relationship? Are you genuinely connected with the Father on a daily basis?

Do you intentionally spend time adoring Him, confessing sin and short comings, thanking Him for your daily breath, bread, provision, and presence before asking for a long list of your personal wants, desires, or preferences?

Connect with Him today and everyday!

Salvation: More than Hope for a Distant Future

When was the last time you thought about your salvation experience?  When was the last time had a conversation about your personal salvation? Did the conversation center around what you were saved from... Did it center around eternity, deliverance, Heaven, or Hell?

Did you discuss what you were saved to?  Did you discuss what your were saved for?  What have you been saved for?

Often times our discussions only revolve around a distant future and eternal consequences.  What if salvation is more than our present discussions?  What if salvation is more than sins forgiven in the future?  What if it means forgiveness today?

Salvation isn't just about being saved from an eternity we don't want.  Salvation is being saved for something that matters right now.  It's not just hope for a distant future but hope for today... Salvation from sin, yes...but salvation from the struggles we are experiencing today... in the present life!

We all need saved from the future consequences of an unrepentant, sinful life separated from God; but we need saved from loneliness, depression, hopelessness, fear, disobedience, pride, attitudes, gossip, and ourselves today.  

We need saved "from our future" eternity... and "for our future" eternity today... Right now!  

Salvation is more than deliverance for tomorrow, it's healing for today; a salve for today; a healing ointment that restores to wholeness.  Salvation is derived from the word salve... To heal a brokenness!

Have you experienced this kind of salvation by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone?  Do you need saved today?  Do you need to experience the healing salve that God offers through His Son Jesus and His shed blood?  

Surrender to His saving grace today... for today... for something better, and for the future!

Evil in the World

As the media covers the devastation at the Boston Marathon, I get the sense that they, as most people, are appalled, angry, and even fearful.

Everyone seems to be taken totally by surprise. But, should we be surprised?

We live in a world where sin is not only visible but becoming more prevalent. Evil exists and abounds throughout our world. We are taken back every time we see such tragedies because what we are longing for in others is righteousness in their behavior... We desire justice to to be achieved by systems, courts, and government.

However, righteousness... Rightness... And a universal restoration to the way God intended and Created is only achieved when the human heart and soul is aligned with God's heart. It's through a right heart... A heart in tune with a Sovereign, Triune God that true righteousness and justice is achieved.

It's through the heart of one seeking after God and His righteousness that changes the world. The world is only made right when it seeks God!

Are you seeking after the heart of God today? Change the world around you by living with a heart after Him in His Strength!

Pic by fox4kc.com

Belief: Facts or Experience

 

Is your faith based on statements, fact, ideals or experience; rules or a relationship? Do you know about Jesus or do you really know Him personally?

If all you know of Jesus is what other people tell you or preach at you, then you simply know some facts; you just believe in a set of rules, ideas, or statements; you do not know the real Jesus... There is no personal relationship, and therefore, there has been no real life change.

We need to understand Christianity is based on beliefs, trust, confidence in the person of Jesus Christ... who He is, and what He did to turn this world's ideologies upside down.

Belief is less about confidence in a set of facts, statements, rules, ideas, principles, and preferences, and more about a personal experience and relationship with the person of Jesus.

What do you base your belief on? Who do you say Jesus is?

Pic from  http://churchonline.lifechurch.tv/invite-someone-for-easter/

ONLY JESUS

Do you compartmentalize your faith, or live dual lives as a Christian?

Jesus is not asking to be an addition to your life... part of your life; He's asking to be your life!

Scripture says,"You can not serve two masters!" (Luke 16:13)...that means more than just in the financial/materialistic context in which it is used.

Many Christians have spent their lives saying with their mouths that "I do believe Jesus is the Son of God. I do believe that He suffered, died, and rose from the dead to save my life for eternity;" but often their lives don't reflect a difference... Their lives aren't any different!

How about you? Does your life reflect the belief and faith you claim? Do others recognize and desire to follow Christ because of the joy you express, the hope you possess, and by the sanctified life you exhibit.

Do you put more energy and commitment into living the life He has called you to... by serving Him and others... than you do your schedule, job, sports, selfish desires or ambitions?

What are you willing to lay down or surrender, in order to totally live the life He has called you... To make Him the center of your life... To eliminate the compartmentalism... To make Him your life?

One Small Step