shine, bright, let Your glory fill this land

jeremy camp - the way


this is our prayer, Lord. Your people cry out--let Your kingdom come.

How to hear from God

Have you ever wondered how to hear from God? The past 2 weeks, Scotty Scruggs at Sanctuary (www.sanc.info) gave 2 awesome sermons on this topic. Please check out the website for the podcasts, but below I will post my notes from the sermon series entitled Get Smart.

Part 1 - How you know if God is leading you in a certain direction (May 22, 2011)

Though at times God may show miraculous signs to show you that He wants you to do something like how he did for Gideon (see Judges 6:17), this is more of an exception. The reality is when we set up God with a test, we normally don't get a sign from the Bible. However, the story of Gideon does show that God wants to speak to us when making decisions.

7 key points:

1) The assurance of God's love (for you)

• This is a fundamental prerequisite since nothing you choose to do can change the fact that you are loved by God
• However, most of us instead seek approval or the others rebel against it as our way of functioning
• 1 John 4:18

2) The characters of God's kingdom

• The answer will have to do something that God is doing in the world. Our decisions will become more congruent with His
• Is our decisions in line with God's character?

3) The shape of your strengths (something you are made to do to give you joy)

• It is a process of narrowing down the list of possibilities of who you could be to who you actually are
• Is it even you? Which words give you meaning?

4) The demands of reality

• Need to see if it is realistic - financially, emotionally, for your family, etc.
• Luke 14:28-30
• However, God may call you to do something unreasonable if that is the case. God will then go out of the way to make it clear to you

5) Wisdom of community

• Normally great decisions aren't made in isolation
• Community to help process your thoughts/strengths/wisdom
• But at the end of the day, it is your call

6) Presence of peace

• Decisions should never be made from a place of desolation. It should always move you to a place of contentment
• He won't lead you to fear, doubt, anxiety, discontentment, desparation
• Don't choose out of anger, greed, frustration

7) The goal is Christ

• Only goal is to glorify Jesus
• Phil 4:21
• to live is Christ = to seek His life before your own

Part 2 (May 29, 2011)

What do you think Jesus is saying to you at this point in your life? How do you know? These are 2 questions that every Christian should be able to answer. How do you hear God?

People struggle to hear God's voice secondary to the way we arrange our day to day lives. It has to do with how you live your life.

The 7 prominent barriers that keeps you from hearing God in your day to day life:

1) Hurry

• You are always sitting on the edge of your seat, busy, stressed, fatigued, exhausted physically and emotionally
• Our culture equates business with success
• It is almost impossible to hear God when we are exhausted
• 1 King 19:4-9 - when Elijah is broken down/worn out God's response is to REST. Take a sabbath
• You need to ruthlessly eliminate hurry in your life if you want to hear God - Dallas Willard

2) Selfish motives

• Telling God the way you need to have God do something so you can live your life for Him
• We see this not only in what we pray, but when we pray
• Forcing God's hand to act in our benefit
• We are free to ask for what we want, but need to trust and follow Him even if things aren't going our way

3) (Unchecked) Anger/resentment

• Matthew 5:23-24
• Our anger/resentment and our capacity to receive from God are at odds
• That type of anger can dominate your thoughts - it dulls your ears to hear the subtle whispers of God
• Go get help, seek reconciliation

4) Fear

• Look to see where your decisions are driven by fear/pain
• A common theme now is people fear loneliness and the decisions that they make based on that are not always the right ones
• There is a fear of failure, of disappointing others since we strive for approval from others, a fear of rejection
• God's voice = overcoming fear

5) The Voice of the Enemy

• Voice that wants to contort God's message
• Voice that condemns, belittles, casts doubts in your life
• Voice that tries to say things so you don't rely on Him

6) Ignoring/Avoiding Scripture

• 2 Timothy 3:16
• There is no substitute for a mind constantly renewed by Scripture

7) Who's in charge?

• You or God?
• Who's will matters most?
• Some dreams die when you follow God's calling, but in the process you get something far far better

Hope these notes help all of you =)

His servant,

Andrew

Freedom

What is freedom? Today's MPPC IBS Bible study centered around the idea of Christ as Liberator- setting us free from the bondage of sin. Many of us who have lived in America for many years have heard the word 'freedom' quoted and thrown around quite often, and it's a favorite of politicians and pundits alike when they make speeches or write op-ed columns for the New York Times. This is generally the idea of political and personal freedom- the freedom to express your opinions, practice a particular religious faith, vote for a candidate of your choice who is running for office. But is this the same meaning as 'freedom' in a spiritual sense?

Paul, in Galatians 5:1, states "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Peter echoes the same theme: "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor." (1 Peter 2:13). He also warns us about the consequences of following false teachers: "They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for 'people are slaves to whatever has mastered them'" (2 Peter 2:16).

In Romans 6:18-23, Paul offers an elegant elucidation of the Christian concept of freedom:

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness...Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Freedom, in the Christian sense, is dissimilar to righteousness in that, while righteousness is measured according to an absolute standard, freedom is defined relative to something else. It is not possible to be free from both sin and from righteousness at the same time- one who defies one must necessarily serve the other.

Let me offer an analogy. A person who owns a bicycle and a person who owns a car get into a conversation about their respective modes of transportation.

"My car offers me freedom," the person with the car says. "I can drive it wherever I like and visit places hundreds of miles away in only a few hours- something which would be difficult, dangerous, tiring, or simply impossible if I didn't own it. I can go wherever I want and enjoy many opportunities which would otherwise be unavailable."

"My bicycle offers me freedom," the other person says. "I can ride it many places as well- although I can't go nearly as far as you can and it's hard work. If it breaks, it is easy for me to repair, unlike your car. As well, I don't have to worry about expensive tune-ups. I don't have to worry about changing the oil or about topping off the tank when gas prices are shooting above $4.00 a gallon, or about paying for expensive automobile insurance. Finally, riding my bicycle keeps me in shape, freeing me from having to go to the gym and giving me more free time to spend on other things."

Does one person have more 'freedom' than the other? It is clear that the car owner and the bicyclist are defining freedom according to different standards, so they are both 'free' in their own way. Where this analogy breaks down for Christians, though, is the fact that the two choices are largely value-neutral. However, as Christians we are called explicitly to be slaves to righteousness (freedom from sin), rather than slaves to sin (which is freedom from righteousness). Moreover, our freedom from sin is not a license to do whatever we like. But rather, as Paul states (in Galatians 5:13), "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh [sinful nature]; rather, serve one another humbly in love." And in 1 Corinthians 10:22, "'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."

As Christians, Christ's death and resurrection has granted us freedom from sin, which once enslaved us. It also grants us the freedom to seek the will of God and to want to do what pleases Him. We don't indulge our desires to 'increase grace', but rather we seek to draw closer to God each day and to more fully be attuned to His perfect will and His desires for our lives.

What are your thoughts about freedom?

(All quoted passages taken from the NIV.)

Relationship with God

As God’s children, we have been made in His own image and we have been given the privilege to act upon the world. I am realizing that just by being, just by existing and breathing, we influence the things around us. When i examine the way i have handled this “privilege of influence” in various situations, i often find myself asking God these questions—am i doing the right thing? Have i done well? and i feel that God has been responding to me by teaching me that it is not so much about how well i have done in following His will, but rather, it’s all about whether or not i am focusing on my relationship with Him. It’s not so much about how well i fix my eyes on Jesus, or (i’ll even go as far as to say) about whether or not i am fixing my eyes on Him. But it’s all about my relationship with Jesus and whether or not i am caring for my relationship with God and doing what’s best to nurture it. Love the Lord God and love your neighbors--all the other laws of the prophets hang on these two principles of relationship (matthew 22:37-40).

Christian singer kim walker once said...singing, playing instruments, all of that stuff, they are all expressions of worship. But worship at its core is our relationship with God, our connection to Him. And by fighting to stay connected to Him all week through His grace, we are worshiping Him.

Overcome evil with good

Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

"...the first I learned up here. Every circumstance in life, no matter how crooked and distorted and ugly it appears to be, if it is reacted to in love and forgiveness and obedience to your will can be transformed.

There I begin to think, my Lord, you purposely allow us to be brought into contact with the bad and evil things that you want changed. Perhaps that is the very reason why we are here in this world, where sin and sorrow and suffering and evil abound, so that we may let you teach us so to react to them, that out of them we can create lovely qualities to live forever. That is the only really satisfactory way of dealing with evil, not simply binding it so that it cannot work harm, but whenever possible overcome it with good."

- "Hind's Feet on High Places"

***
Testify to love

test

::ehem:: mic check onetwo onetwo :)
hi guys, let the posting begin!

Be faithful in little things - Quote from Mother Teresa

"To the good God nothing is little because He is so great and we so small - that is why He stoops down and takes the trouble to make those little things for us - to give us a chance to prove our love for Him. Because He makes them, they are very great. He cannot make anything small; they are infinite. Yes my dear children, be faithful in little practices of love, of little sacrifices - of the little interior mortification - of little fidelities to Rule, which will build in you the life of holiness - make you Christ-like."

- Mother Teresa

a light in the darkness

"in him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (john 1:4-5)



Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

i could sing of your love forever

Acts 2:15-28: David said about him: '"I saw the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'" amen.

this week's worship songs:
1.  heart of worship
2.  i can sing of your love forever
3.  hungry

"full" band this week--piano, guitar, vocals.  thank you, Lord, for raising up your people and providing for the group.  You are a good God.  we pray that the Spirits within us will rejoice as we think about your goodness and express it through our worship.

by your side - tenth avenue north

warfare through worship

2 Chronicles 20:15-22

15 This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”

22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

all eyes on Him

something weird seems to happen inside when we direct our attention toward Jesus.  i'm not quite sure how it happens, but when i keep looking at Him, i can't help but see...people.  steadily gazing upon Him somehow turns our hearts outward toward His children.  God, we praise You because You abound in Your selfless love and we praise You for allowing us to have a relationship with You that moves us to become better and more loving people for the people around us.

To see You in Your glory

"And as we worship, build Your throne."

The 3 songs for the week:
1. Blessed Be Your Name
2. Still
3. Jesus, We Enthrone You

Lord, we long to see You in the fullness of Your glory as we worship You this week.  We long to lift Your name high and sing of Your goodness and love.  Make us into a group that brings glory to Your name.  In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.