Revitalize Your Church

"The knowledge of God is the most glorious treasure anyone could possess, yet in most civilized countries there is but one institution engaged in promoting that knowledge, and even that institution is not working very hard at it."  -- A. W. Tozer

"I walked out over Boston Common before breakfast, weeping for joy and praising God. Oh, how I loved! In that hour I knew Jesus, and I loved Him till it seemed my heart would break with love. I was filled with love for all His creatures. I heard the little sparrows chattering; I loved them. I saw a little worm wriggling across my path; I stepped over it; I didn’t want to hurt any living thing. I loved the dogs, I loved the horses, I loved the little urchins on the street, I loved the strangers who hurried past me, I loved the heathen, I loved the whole world."    --  Samuel Brengle, Salvation Army leader and evangelist, sharing about his personal immersion in Holy Love  

Fear is a terrorist, lurking in the shadows of our hearts -- waiting to attack at any moment.  Fear keeps us from achieving success. It destroys our dreams. It dashes our hopes. Immeasurable damage is caused by this small four-letter word.   As we run the race of life, fear is a rope that tangles itself around our legs, causing us to stumble, to falter, and to fail. Theologian, Paul Tillich, stated that our fears put frightening masks over people and things. They appear to be more dreadful than they really are. When we remove the mask, the terror disappears. Strangers are not so terrible when we view them as fellow human beings. The future is not nearly so fearful when we see it as it is -- realizing that life will go on. "There is nothing to fear," quoted Franklin D. Roosevelt, 'but fear itself." It is the greatest enemy of courage, progress, and enthusiasm.  As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy -- and he is us!" So, how do we attack fear head on, rather...

It is significant that Jesus prayed from the cross. While experiencing the worst torture a human being could endure  – he prayed.   Most of us, in such moments of anguish, would succumb to the suffering. Our prayers would be diminished to one word: “Help!”  Reflecting on the worst moments of my life, I must admit “Help!” is the most sincere prayer I’ve ever uttered.   Yet, Jesus went beyond a prayer for help at Golgotha . His prayers from the cross reveal the intensity of his pain – yet, a deep love pouring from his heart. Instead of being consumed with himself, he turned his focus to God and others.   The old adage states, “We all have our cross to bear.” In our moments of anguish, we can look to Jesus, and see how he responded in his darkest valley. A review of Good Friday events shows that Jesus did three things: 1) He pressed into prayer. 2) He poured out love. 3) He surrendered all to God. ...

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow if death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."   -- Thomas Merton

"We should never forget that the purpose of theology is doxology; we study in order to praise.  The truest expression of trust in God will always be worship to praise God for being greater than we know." --   Geneva Study Bible note

My sermon this morning, "Six Steps to the Throne", was inspired by a chapter from   In The Day of Thy Power , by Arthur Wallis. In 2 Chronicles 9:18 we read that there were six steps to the throne of King Solomon.  And in our prayer life, there are six steps to the throne of God:  The King of Kings. Step 1:  Abiding in Christ John 15:5-7 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This means being connected to Christ -- living in Christ - being at home with him.  There is a huge difference between saying prayers and being a person of prayer. Two ways we become disconnected:  Disobedience (Ps, 66:18) and Neglect.  Is Jes...