Tuesday 6/28/2005
Mark 9.2-50-Jesus glory shines brightly
2 Samuel 22- You opened the heavens like curtains, and you came down
Hosea 2.2-23-Stay with God
1 Corinthians 3.16-23-Don?t be deceived-if I think I am wise- I need
to become a fool for Christ
Romans 6.1-14-Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ
Jesus
Psalm 119.129-136-The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts
understanding to the simple
Seth, Seth and Dave?God spoke through them yesterday- I was sitting on
the beach in Florida- they approached me asking if they could ask me a
few questions ? I was wondering if this was going to be an audition
for a game show- They were with Campus Crusade for Christ?it was a
real nice conversation- their intentions were completely good- their
approach really stunk though?I was grilled with questions- did I
believe in heaven ? did I believe in hell- what would I say to a
friend to bring them to Christ- on and on with what was to be five
questions?so I stopped it for a minute?I heard God working through
these young men ? I heard God speaking through their intentions- but I
also saw the devil twisting it into a works righteousness thing- I saw
the devil turning people away from God by a test of knowledge- a test
of knowledge of a few verses memorized from a pamphlet?so I explained
to these young men ? that we need to reach out in compassion to each
other ? especially those who aren?t Christian- not stand in judgment
of some answers to questions memorized- not stand in judgement of some
Bible verses pre-planned down some pre-determined reasoning?I
explained to Seth, Seth, and David that God is present right here and
now- all around us- and we need to reach out in compassion to those on
the beach and act in helping ways- tell their story of how Jesus is
active in their lives- what he has done for them- tell their story of
why they believe and offer God?s grace to each person on the beach ?
witness to what God has really done in their own lives?not give a test
on answers to specific question- how is Jesus alive in your life? ?
tell me why you believe in Jesus and what he does for you?- and since
you claim to be Christian ? how have you responded to God?s call-
God?s purpose?Let?s pray for your ministry and praise God here on this
beach ? right now in front of the glory of his creation- in front of
that ever-living water we witness right here and now?so we prayed- we
prayed for the Campus Crusade for Christ- we prayed for these young
men and the lives they were developing- the journey they were on- and
we prayed that Christ would call and lead them all up and down the
beach to reach out and touch the lives of others by just telling their
own story of how Jesus is alive and gracious to each one of them and
to all of us?Did God speak yesterday- Yea- Through some young men ?
going up and down the beach- in a different manner than they started ?
these men left saying- ?Now we?ll move on to someone who doesn?t know
Christ.? ? To that I heard and saw God active in some young men
yesterday.
Prayer- Lord- give me the faith and boldness to witness to you ? to
tell my story ? to tell of how you are in my life ? to tell how you
heal- to tell how you always come down- to tell of your story of death
to life- to tell how all this happens to me ? to tell the story of the
church- to tell the story of your people and your love for those
people- to tell- to tell ? to tell- Lord lead me this day to tell of
you and to praise you and give you all the honor and glory. It?s not a
test- you passed that test years ago- I?m here to tell. ? Amen
Wednesday 6/29/2005
Mark 10.1-31-It?s not easy to get into heaven- give up everything-
even your life-you must trust God
2 Samuel 23-Serve God throughout life
Hosea 3-Even though I sin God still loves me
Mark 8.27-35-Deny myself- lose my life- take up my cross and follow
Jesus
Matthew 16.15-23-Jesus suffered, died and rose again to free me from
sin and give me everlasting life
Psalm 149-Praise the LORD!
A bug?- A sea creature?- A huge cockroach?- And a compassionate lady?
That?s how God spoke yesterday through people- I don?t know what this
thing was?on the beach ? a lady next to me gets up and picks up this
thing on the beach that a bird was picking at?I just figured it was
something those birds liked to eat- I had no compassion for this thing
what so ever?but the lady next to me did?she didn?t want that bird to
eat this ugly thing?I figured ? who cares what that bird eats- I eat
cows, chickens, fish and all sorts of other things- so what if this
bird wants to eat this ugly thing?so the lady brings this ugly thing
over to me- shows it to me- we had been talking earlier ? she tells me
this ugly thing was on her son earlier and she put it back in the
ocean- she didn?t even know what it was- but she didn?t want the bird
to eat it ? we look at it- I tell her I don?t have the slightest idea
what the hell that thing is and I would have let the bird eat it if
the bird wanted to?but no?she had compassion for this ugly thing- so
she rinsed it off and took it back out into the ocean?an hour or so
goes by and the lady jumps up again- there is that ugly thing again-
washed back up ? she takes it way out in the ocean ? gently rinses it
off again ? shows it to her husband ? and puts it back in the ocean-
this time way out there?I think maybe that lady was like Jesus- she
had compassion on this ugly thing- just like Jesus has compassion for
me?when I get in trouble and the birds start picking at me- Jesus sees
the needs I have- picks me up ? rinses me in my baptism and returns me
to life ? returns me to serve in God?s kingdom- just like this lady
took the ugly thing back into the ocean?and there I go again- I get
into trouble again- wash back up on shore- and Jesus ? just like the
lady ? doesn?t give up on me- even though I sin ? God still loves me-
he tells me to lose my life- take up my cross and follow him- he tells
me how he would even die for me and defend me from death ? he would
never let this ugly thing be eaten by the bird- so Jesus gently rinses
me off once again and takes me out into the deep water- serve God in
the deep water this time ? have faith and serve God ? praise God with
all I have ? because he loves me so much he is willing to put up with
me washing back to the beach where I?m not supposed to be ? and he
will return me with his love into his kingdom ? trust God?did God
speak to me yesterday?- I think he spoke to me ? that ugly thing
through a compassionate lady.
Prayer- Lord teach me your compassion- teach me to love others just
like you love me- it doesn?t matter the beauty or wealth of another-
but that you have compassion ? teach me to act on the love you have
shown to me ? to act on the love you have given to me- to take up my
cross and follow in your footsteps- this day ? take my life and use it
in your kingdom how you wish- for you are God and I give you
everlasting praise and thanksgiving for the life you have given me?Amen
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