tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25489515366275628342024-03-13T13:42:15.723-07:00Thoughtful Christian InsightsHere you'll find thoughts and insights into the Christian experience, how Christianity relates to our world, our politics and our lives. Please join me in the conversation!natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-45862153402398585852010-07-07T08:29:00.000-07:002010-07-07T08:29:19.987-07:00Blog movedThis blog has moved to my new blog location at http://proverbs305.blogspot.com<br />
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I'm leaving these posts on this one here because they are still getting a lot of hits, but all newer posts will be on my new blog.<br />
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Thanks!<br />
natemorris1natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-77919846198036424472010-03-17T14:13:00.000-07:002010-04-14T14:23:44.286-07:00Chief in our HeartsChief in our hearts<br /><br />What does God want from us? Is it working really hard for His Kingdom? Is it following all the rules and being a good person? Is it performing miracles and driving out demons? No! Those things are all by-products of the thing that God wants from us. So what is it that God wants? LOVE! God wants us to love Him! <br /><br />Read Matthew 7:21-23 with me.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207:21-23&version=NKJV">Matthew 7:21-23</a></span><br />“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’</span></blockquote><br /><br />Why was it that Jesus told the people in this story to leave? Was it because they didn't cast out enough demons or do enough work? No! It was because they never knew Him! Now, I hope that if you're reading this, you already know Christ, and if that is the case, you don't have to worry about Jesus saying this to you on judgment day. But, there is a valuable lesson we believers can learn from this section of scripture, and that is this: We need to be careful of allowing our work for God to get in the way of our relationship with Him. <br /><br />Christ wants to be chief in our hearts. He desires to be the supreme object of our adoration, and He should be! If you're not sure why He should be, check out this post from a few weeks ago: <a href="http://thoughtfulchristianinsights.blogspot.com/2010/02/our-god-is-big.html"><span style="font-style:italic;">Our God is Big!</span></a><br /><br />Sometimes we can get so busy working for God, that we forget to walk with Him. We get so busy talking about God that we forget to talk with Him. Let's get back to basics and give Him the center place in our lives. <br /><br />Read this entry from "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers with me.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;"> March 17, 2010<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php">THE WORKER'S RULING PASSION</a><br /><br />Wherefore we labour that . . we may be accepted of Him. - Corinthians 5:9<br /><br />"Wherefore we labour...." It is arduous work to keep the master amibition in front. It means holding one's self to the high ideal year in and year out, not being ambitious to win souls or to establish churches or to have revivals, but being ambitious only to be "accepted of Him." It is not lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but lack of labouring to keep the ideal right. Once a week at least take stock before God and see whether you are keeping your life up to the standard He wishes. Paul is like a musician who does not heed the approval of the audience if he can catch the look of approval from his Master.<br /><br />Any ambition which is in the tiniest degree away from this central one of being "approved unto God" may end in our being castaways. Learn to discern where the ambition leads, and you will see why it is so necessary to live facing the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says - "Lest my body should make me take another line, I am constantly watching so that I may bring it into subjection and keep it under." (1 Cor. 9:27.)<br /><br />I have to learn to relate everything to the master ambition, and to maintain it without any cessation. My worth to God in public is what I am in private. Is my master ambition to please Him and be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how noble?</span></blockquote><br /><br />Our main ambition must be loving and glorifying God!<br /><br />I don't know about you, but that's work that I can get excited about.natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-43523593692518027742010-02-18T10:12:00.000-08:002010-02-18T10:40:01.661-08:00Good intentions don't equal good results (or doing the right thing the wrong way)This study is from 1 Chronicles chapters 13 & 15<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">1Chronicles 13 (NASB) </span>Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the LORD our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us; and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” <br /><br />Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the LORD who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called. They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets. <br /><br />When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it. The anger of the LORD burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. Then David became angry because of the LORD’S outburst against Uzza; and he called that place Perez-uzza to this day. <br /><br />David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” So David did not take the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the LORD blessed the family of Obed-edom with all that he had.</blockquote></span><br /><br />David had a great idea! "Let's bring back the ark, and seek the Lord" he proclaims. But, David tried to go about it in his own way, rather than following the path that God had already laid out for him in the Word. He had good intentions, but he was seeking to fulfill God's plans on his own terms.<br /><br />You see, David had Uzza and Ahio pull the ark on a cart, rather than having the levites carry the ark with poles, as God had commanded them in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2025:14&version=NASB">Exodus 25:14</a>. So, Uzza, reached out to steady the ark when it was falling, and God smote him. This was Uzza's fault for touching it, but really, it was David's fault, because he had Uzza and Ahio put the ark on a cart, when it was supposed to be carried on poles, and only by the Levites (the priest tribe). (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2025:10-15&version=NASB">Exodus 25:10-15</a> and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%204:15&version=NASB">Numbers 4:15</a>)<br /><br />So, had he followed the Lord's clear directions for moving the ark, it never would have stumbled, and Uzza never would have reached out to steady it. Also, a Levite would have known not to touch the ark, because he would have been trained in how to do it, but Uzza was not a Levite, he was a normal guy, and never should have been carrying it, so in his ignorance, he reached out to steady it, and was struck dead. <br /><br />This is an example of God chastening David, reminding him that there is a right and wrong way to serve him, and to not let his good intentions get confused for God's will. <br /><br />So, the challenge for us here is to not let our good ideas or good intentions get confused with God's will just because they sound good to us, and the people who are our counselors seem to agree. We need to return to the Lord and see if it is His will or not, and seek Him about how to carry them out. <br /><br />How often do we do things out of our own strength and our own understanding, not really seeking the Lord? How often do I get a good idea, and just run with it instead of seeking God through prayer and in his word?<br /><br />Read 1 Chronicles 15 - <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">David does it God's way</span></span><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">1Chronicles 15 (NASB) </span><br />Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.<br /><br />Then David said, “No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.” And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place which he had prepared for it. <br /><br />David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and 120 of his relatives; of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and 220 of his relatives; of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and 130 of his relatives; of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and 200 of his relatives; of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and 80 of his relatives; of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and 112 of his relatives. <br /><br />Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. “Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.” So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.<br /><br />So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, and with them their relatives of the second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. So the singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze; and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah, with harps tuned to alamoth; and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah, to lead with lyres tuned to the sheminith. Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful. Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were gatekeepers for the ark. So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with joy.<br /><br />Because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen. <br /><br />Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres. It happened when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart.</span></blockquote><br /><br />David returned and sought the Lord's direction in moving the ark, and there was great rejoicing! Notice, when the Levites carried the ark according to God's instruction, God helped them in their carrying and accomplished it through them. They sought out God's will and followed His plans according to His methods, and there was great success!<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Galatians 2:20</span><br />"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." </span></blockquote><br /><br />Are the life we're living and the choices we're making dictated by our faith in the son of God, or our good intentions?<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">John 15:4-5 </span><br />"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."</span></blockquote>natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-25275180269313369872010-02-09T13:32:00.000-08:002010-02-10T08:56:12.969-08:00Our God is BIG!<em><strong> Psalm 97:1-6</strong><br /><br />The Lord reigns;<br />Let the earth rejoice;<br />Let the multitude of isles be glad!<br /><br />Clouds and darkness surround Him;<br />Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.<br /><br />A fire goes before Him,<br />And burns up His enemies round about.<br /><br />His lightnings light the world;<br />The earth sees and trembles.<br /><br />The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,<br />At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.<br /><br />The heavens declare His righteousness,<br />And all the peoples see His glory.</em><br /><br />The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad, let the multitude of islands rejoice! Why? because God reigns! That's good news for us! OUR God reigns, not some other God, not any earthly president or king, but our GOD reigns! And our God is BIG!<br /><br />I think we sometimes forget how big our God is. Remember, He is the Creator, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end. We tend to put God in human terms so that we can better understand Him, but we need to remember that God is not bound by our limitations and our weaknesses, He is as far above them as we can possibly imagine. Our God is not a God we can put in a box, or keep in control, He's not a tame God or a "safe" God. I love what Mr. Beaver says about Him (in the character of Aslan) in C.S. Lewis' The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe:<br /><br /> <em>"Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. but he's good. He's the King, I tell you." </em><br /><br />I tell you, He's the King! Our God holds all things together. (Colossians 1:17) He holds everything from the invisible forces that keep the atoms of our bodies together to the galaxies and constellations in the heavens. In Job 38, God answers Job's questions about God's reasons for His actions by contrasting God's power and majesty with Job's. Here's a little snippet from that conversation:<br /><br /><em><strong>Job 38:31-33 </strong><br />"Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,<br />Or loose the cords of Orion?<br />"Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,<br />And guide the Bear with her satellites?<br />"Do you know the (rdinances of the heavens,<br />Or fix their rule over the earth?<br /></em><br /><br />God is talking about star constellations here, and how He alone has the power to do with them as He pleases, in fact, He holds them and guides them! Here is a picture of the Pleiades star cluster that God is talking with Job about:<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://www.ccvv.org/images/pleiades.jpg" alt="Pleiades" width="299" height="213" border="0"/> </div><br /><br />Just out of curiosity, can you hold that star cluster together? Can you even hold that star cluster? Can you even visit that start cluster? Obviously, the answer is no! You and I are not even specs of dust in comparison with that star cluster. But God, God holds that thing in His hand, and he binds it together with the forces of gravity and electricity and keeps it where He wants it to be. Wow are we small, but man is God big!<br /><br />In case that doesn't do it for you, check out this verse:<br /><br /><em><strong>Isaiah 40:12 </strong><br />Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,<br />And marked off the heavens by the span,<br />And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,<br />And weighed the mountains in a balance<br />And the hills in a pair of scales?</em><br /><br />Our God has marked off the heavens with a span. That means that He takes His hand and holds it up, and the space between His finger and His thumb holds the whole universe. Do you know how big the universe is? Right now, estimates place the size of the universe at around 28 billion light years in diameter, we can never really know the actual size, so that's a small estimate, based on what we can see. A light year is 5,878,630,000,000 miles. So the estimated size of the universe is 28,000,000,000 X 5,878,630,000,000 miles wide at it's diameter. I'll let you do the math on that one.<br /><br />Here's a picture of what the universe might look like were you to look at it the way that God does, by the span of your hand.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://www.ccvv.org/images/universe.gif" alt="Universe" width="391" height="364" border="0"/></div><br /><br />You can't find earth in that image, you can't even find our solar system, in fact, looking at this image, it would be near impossible to point out our galaxy, the Milky Way. The spots that look like stars are galaxies, and even clusters of galaxies! Bigger than our minds can comprehend. Our God holds THAT in the palm of His hand. We serve a BIG God. <br /><br />When you think about how big our God is, and how small we are, it's pretty amazing that He would care about us isn't it?<br /><br /><em><strong>Psalm 8:3-9</strong><br />When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,<br />The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,<br /><br />What is man that You are mindful of him,<br />And the son of man that You visit him?<br /><br />For You have made him a little lower than the angels,<br />And You have crowned him with glory and honor.<br /><br />You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;<br />You have put all things under his feet,<br /><br />All sheep and oxen—<br />Even the beasts of the field,<br /><br />The birds of the air,<br />And the fish of the sea<br />That pass through the paths of the seas.<br /><br />O Lord, our Lord,<br />How excellent is Your name in all the earth!</em><br /><br />The same God who made those stars and galaxies, and who measures the universe by the span of His hand, loves you enough that He came to earth and lived as a man, and died the death of a lowly criminal for YOU. The God who measures the universe in His hand became smaller than an atom in relation to the universe, and lived humbly, submitting to men, dying on a cross, so that you could have life in Him. <br /><br />When you think about how big God is, doesn't it make your problems seem small? If God is that powerful, He can take care of the problems and struggles in my life can't He? Of course He can! How small are my problems in relation to the universe? And when God doesn't do things the way that I think they should be done, and I'm going through struggles or hardship, I need to realize that doesn't mean God can't handle it. It means He is handling it in exactly the way He wants to handle it. He is allowing things to happen the way that He wants them to be. He has the power to change every situation I am in, and if He doesn't it's because He is doing a work in my life, and His plans are infinitely better than mine.<br /><br />The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad, let the multitude of islands rejoice! Why? Because God reigns! That's good news for us!<br /><br />I'm glad that a God that loves me is in charge.natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-80993580601218960392010-01-19T13:47:00.001-08:002010-01-22T14:42:08.053-08:00The Truth of the matterJesus said that God's word is truth.<br /><br />"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." - John 17:17<br /><br />God's word is not just true, it is Truth. True is an adjective, truth is a noun. God's word is the Truth, the standard by which all that is true must be measured. There are lots of things that are true, but those things are not truth itself. We must measure whether things are true by the holding them up to the truth.<br /><br />When we face things that are called "true" in the world, we must look at whether those things line up with the Truth, the Word of God. <br /><br />We live in a relativistic society, and say "That may be true for you, but it's not for me". How smart, thinking human beings can make a statement like that is beyond me. For something to be true, it must be true universally, otherwise it is not truth, it's opinion. For us to have truth, we must have a standard of what is true. And for Christians, we have the answer to what that standard is, the Word. If we cling to the Word, the Truth, we will be able to discern all the false truths out there, and get to reality! If we want to actually know what is true, we must line it up with the Word of God, the Truth.<br /><br />Those that would claim you can find truth in all religions and in all places are not lining those things up to the Word of God, the Truth. If you take the Word, and line up those so-called "truths", we quickly see that they sound very similar to the truth, but are twisted just slightly, so that they say something different. <br /><br />Let us cling to Truth. Let us cling to Christ, the Word. Let us seek to know the Truth, and then we can discern what is true, instead of seeking what is true, and getting confused about what the Truth is. <br /><br />Remember, Jesus said "I am the way and the TRUTH and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me" - John 14:6 <br /><br />If we will simply cling to Jesus, we cling to the Truth. We don't need to look anywhere else! We don't need to look to find truth in other religions, or in the world, we have the one who is the Truth!natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-54910129752168429392009-02-11T18:04:00.000-08:002009-02-11T18:24:12.833-08:00The Repentant ChurchWHEN A GROUP OF SMALL BOYS out to play ball, arrived at the play ground, they discovered that no one had brought a ball. "Forget the ball," said one impatiently. "Let's get on with the game." We are trying to play without the ball when the Church tries to evangelize before she has repented. The Church can do many things after she has repented but nothing until first she repents. If God ever visits us again in real revival, there will be many red faces as churchmen and religious leaders blush and hang their heads in shame for the silly and stupid ways in which we have tried to promote the work of God in the energy of the flesh by the help of the world. Drama will be unnecessary. We may not even need great preachers! Gospel jazz will slink away, and we shall be chagrined that we ever sank so low as to tolerate it. All this will vanish in the blinding light of the holiness of God, and no flesh will glory in His presence.<br /><br />Vance Havner (1901-1986)<br /><br />I'm not opposed to "gospel-jazz", or even to Christian Hardcore music, for that matter, in fact, I used to play in a Christian Punk band, but I don't think that music is the point he's getting at here... We, the church, have tried to promote God and Christianity by the world's methods, we have tried to create a revival, instead of allowing the Reviver to create it in us. Our only appropriate place is on our knees, humbly asking the Lord of Hosts to forgive, indwell and empower us to reach this lost and hurting world!<br /><br />Blessings, <br />Natenatemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-40439446907067758542009-02-04T08:51:00.000-08:002009-02-04T08:59:15.653-08:00The Compelling Majesty of His Power(from My Utmost for His Highest, February 4th)<br /><br />“The love of Christ compels us …” (2 Corinthians 5:14 ).<br />Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. “The love of Christ compels us … .” When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.<br /><br />When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you …” (Acts 1:8 ). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, “… you shall be witnesses to Me … .” Not witnesses to what Jesus can do—that is basic and understood—but “witnesses to Me … .” We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane—he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for—to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of “the love of Christ.” This total surrender to “the love of Christ” is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-92208284925140531302009-01-20T10:07:00.000-08:002009-01-20T10:11:25.457-08:00Politics or the Gospel?"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36).<br /><br />The fact that Christ's Kingdom Is not of this world is enough to keep me out of the world's politics. If I participate in politics, then I am casting a vote of confidence in the system's ability to solve the world's problems. But frankly, I have no such confidence because I know that "the whole world lieth in wickedness" (1 John 5:19).<br /><br />Politics has proved singularly ineffective in solving the problems of society. Political remedies are nothing but a band-aid on a festering sore: they do not get at the source of the infection. We know that sin is the basic trouble in our sick society. Anything that fails to deal with sin cannot be taken seriously as a cure.<br /><br />It becomes a matter of priorities, then. Should I spend time in political involvement or should I devote that same time to the spread of the gospel? Jesus answered the question when He said, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:60). Our top priority must be to make Christ known because He is the answer to the world's problems.<br /><br />--William MacDonald, One Day at a Time, Gospel Folio Press, p. 24.<br /><br /><br />What a great reminder that we are not citizens of this world, our citizenship is in heaven! As Christians, our chief concern is not to be in the dealings of the world, but the dealings of the Kingdom of Heaven. If Christians spent half the time spreading the news of the gospel that we spend spreading our politics, what wondrous things could God accomplish through us?natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-20313999559428546522009-01-10T08:49:00.000-08:002009-01-10T08:52:09.930-08:00Rejoice in the Lord!<blockquote><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Philippians 3:1 (NKJV)</span><br />Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.<br /></blockquote><br />Paul here repeats himself. He is saying, it’s not tedious, and should not be tedious to you for me to write the same things over and over again. It is a safeguard for you, hearing me repeat these things over and over will help ensure that you receive them and accept them into your heart, not just let them go in one ear and out the other.<br /><br />So what is it that he is repeating to them? Rejoice in the Lord! He wants them to get back to the root of their faith, to remember why they do what they do, to remember why they act how they act, and to remember for whom they endure hardship. Rejoice in the Lord! For He is Good! When we get back to simply rejoicing in Jesus, we tend to forget about the troubles we have, we tend to not try so hard to be good Christians, and we start to reflect Christ, because we are with Him, and He is working in and through us! Joy wells up inside of us because of our relationship with our Father in Heaven, and we begin to overflow and rejoice.<br /><br />Are you rejoicing in the Lord? Are you delighting in His face? Are you basking in His Glory? If not, stop whatever you’re doing, whether it’s trying to be a good Christian, feeling bad about your past, feeling busy, feeling lost, hopeless or empty. STOP! <br /><br />And rejoice in the Lord!<br /><br />As the old hymn goes, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-10815276503258514392008-11-12T07:44:00.000-08:002008-11-19T08:45:48.911-08:00Relational Vs. Comprehensive EvangelismI have been thinking about a couple of the different schools of thought when it comes to evangelism lately, and would like to share some of my thoughts. <br /><br />First, there is the relational school, which says that you need to earn the right to share the gospel with someone. You need to become their friend and let your life be an example to them before you can share the message of the gospel with them.<br /><br />Second, there is the "cold-turkey" school, which, because of the urgency of the message, and the reality of hell would say that you should share the gospel whenever you have a chance, with whomever you have the opportunity. You don't necessarily need to work your way into their life, because it is the message of the gospel that contains the power of God, not our lives or our example of the gospel.<br /><br />While both schools of thought have very valid points, I would have to say that I believe in a more comprehensive approach. Here's what I mean. Relational evangelism is great, you have the opportunity to share Christ with someone you already know. It's great, it's hard, it's scary, and it can be effective, because those people have had the chance to see the way you live your life, and when the message is shared with them there may be an "aha!" moment where they realize that this gospel is why you have such joy, why you live a different life, etc. It is a great evangelistic tool. On the other hand, Christ did not command us to share the gospel only with those we know, but to take it to the ends of the earth. And if you look at Christ's ministry, he shared the gospel with thousands of people, thousands! Many times those thousands were all together in one place! He did not always use the relational method. In fact, a good example of this is in John chapter 4, where he meets the woman at the well. He has met this woman for the first time, and honestly, he treats her in a fairly confrontational and unconventional method, which made her uncomfortable. He talked to her, when the social norm would say no to that. He then dug pretty deep into her personal life, and then shared the message of the gospel with her. He did not have a personal relationship with this woman, he had just met her. But his message was met by her realizing he was the Christ, and then sharing it with her whole village, who also believed. <br /><br />In my view, the correct approach to gospel presentation would be an "any and all" method. As paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23<span style="font-style:italic;"> "to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you."</span> We should always be ready to share the gospel (1 Peter 3:15, 2 Timothy 4:1-2), whether it be with friends or strangers, we are called to be Christ's ambassadors in this world. <br /><br />The fact is that it is the MESSAGE of the gospel that is the salvation of men, not our presentation of it (1 Cor. 1:17), not our lives, but the message itself. This is clearly presented in Philippians 1:15-18:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Philippians 1:15-18 </span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.</span><br /><br />So, here's the gist of this section of scripture, there are people who preach the gospel for ill motives, they want selfish gain, they want to stir up trouble, they want to feed self. BUT, there are also those who preach Christ from goodwill, seeking to further the gospel message and bring people into the fold of God. So what of it? Paul rejoices that Christ is preached, whether it is in pretense or truth, whether from selfish motives or sincere motives, he will rejoice in the fact that Christ is preached. Why? Because it is the MESSAGE that counts, not our presentation of it, not our lives as we present it, not our words, not our deeds, not our denomination, not even our own status as believers, but the MESSAGE. The message of the gospel is where the power is. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Romans 1:16</span> (<span style="font-style:italic;">I am not ashamed of the gospel, because <span style="font-weight:bold;">IT</span> is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.</span>) <br /><br />Paul rejoices, because the message of the gospel is what the Holy Spirit uses to draw people to Christ, not our lives, but the gospel. This does not give us an out on living holy lives and practicing our faith, on the contrary, if we have truly received the gospel of Christ, our lives will reflect the gospel, and be a living testimony to it. But, Paul was rejoicing even though there were men out there proclaiming the gospel selfishly, and out of impure motives. This makes it very clear that what really matters in evangelism is the message of the cross, nothing more, nothing less. <span style="font-weight:bold;">1 Corinthians 2:1-3</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.</span><br /><br />Side Note: Paul is rejoicing that Christ is preached, but elsewhere, he condemns those who would distort the gospel of Christ. He is here rejoicing that the true gospel is preached, not a distorted one. We are not to tolerate false gospels as you can clearly see in the book of Galatians. But, as long as the true gospel is being preached, we are to rejoice, no matter what the circumstances of it's presentation.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. -Ephesians 6:19-20 </span>natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-23478138378426610482008-11-10T16:33:00.000-08:002008-11-10T16:40:24.464-08:00South AfricaJen and I recently went on a mission trip to South Africa. It was an eye opening, life changing experience, and I wish I could sum it up in a few words, but I can't. SO, you should go check out our blog page we created about the trip. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.vervecreativedesign.com/southafrica" target="_blank">http://www.vervecreativedesign.com/southafrica</a><br /><br />Blessings, <br />Natenatemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-35506457396660661762008-03-24T16:12:00.000-07:002008-03-24T16:15:04.414-07:00Ron Paul Statement on the War in IraqI will return to my posts on Christian Leadership soon, but for now, have a look at a quote from Rep. Ron Paul on the war in Iraq over at my other blog <a href="http://nateslifethoughts.blogspot.com/">http://nateslifethoughts.blogspot.com/</a>natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-46867018305381929172008-03-20T12:15:00.000-07:002008-03-20T13:07:02.655-07:00Christian LeadershipI've been studying 1 and 2 Timothy recently, and just moved on to Titus. While this wasn't really planned on my part, this happened just as I am stepping out into a leadership position in my church. So, the timing couldn't be more perfect, as church leadership is pretty much what all of these books are about!<br /><br />So, in my studies, I have been encouraged, challenged and equipped as I step out into a leadership role that I know I cannot perform of my own strength, but need the empowering and enabling of the Spirit of God to perform. But, I have also seen some of the areas that we often overlook when putting people into leadership in the American church. I think that a better understanding of biblical church leadership would get rid of a lot of the problems that we face in the church in the US today. Over the next few posts, I will touch on just a few areas that I think are key considerations when appointing people to leadership positions in the church. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Holiness</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">1 Timothy 3</span><br />1It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.</span><br /><br />I know, I know, holiness is not a topic we american christians like to discuss very often. It brings to mind thoughts of judgment and condemnation. BUT, God has called his people to be Holy... especially then, the leaders of his people.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Leviticus 11:45</span> <br />For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Leviticus 19:2</span> <br />Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Leviticus 20:7</span><br />You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Leviticus 20:26</span> <br />Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1 Peter 1:15</span><br />but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1 Peter 1:16</span> <br />because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Matthew 5:48 </span><br />Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.</span><br /><br />OK, so we know from these scriptures that we, as followers of Christ, are to be Holy, to be set apart for God. To live righteous lives. "But," we say "aren't we forgiven from sin?" "Doesn't God accept us just the way we are because of the blood of Christ?" Of course He does! But, he does not want to leave us in the state that we were in when He saved us, He wants to set us free from our sin, and bring us into life in Him. He has called us to be Holy, not to ruin our fun, but for our own good. <br /><br />I'm sure you've seen the bumper sticker, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven!". While there is an element of truth to this, we will not be completely free from sin and error while we are on this earth, and we are forgiven our sins, this is also a statement that makes an excuse for our living in sin, and makes a mockery of the grace of God. <br /><br />God has not forgiven us so that we can keep on sinning. He did not die to give us a get out of jail free card, and then leave us to our own devices so we could keep committing crimes against Him.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">1 John 3:5-9</span><br />5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.<br /><br /> 7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hebrews 10:26-27 </span><br /> 26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Romans 6:1-3 </span><br />1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?</span><br /><br />So then, God has called us to holiness, to leave our lives of sin, take up our cross and follow Him. He has called ALL believers to this, how much more then, those who are in leadership? How can we expect to lead, or shepherd the flock of God, pointing them in the direction of Holiness, when we ourselves are living in sin?<br /><br />I am not saying that we will never sin, we still battle the flesh, and we will fall, we will make mistakes, we will sin. But as believers and as leaders, we must live lives that reflect Christ, who knew no sin. We must strive for holiness, and not make light of the grace God has given us by the death of His son Jesus Christ on the cross. When we make light of sin, we make light of the sacrifice that He made for us. When we make light of sin, we give it room to take hold in our lives, and that road leads to destruction. We need a healthy outlook on sin, and to not avoid the subject because it makes us uncomfortable. <br /><br />So then, Holiness is an essential quality for those who would be leaders. Looking at the way some of the church leaders in America have been behaving lately, you would think Holiness has all but left the church. I know this is not the case, but that's the way it looks to non-believers. We preach a good life, and then live in sin. We need to take a good look at people's lives before we appoint them to leadership, and then when they are in leadership, we need to keep them accountable to God. To make sure that they are staying on track. <br /><br />So, Holiness being an essential quality, how do we achieve it? Because we on our own are not Holy, we cannot be Holy, we are fallen creatures, destined to keep sinning. We achieve holiness by the power of the Spirit moving in our hearts. It is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do anything good for God. We, on our own strength are feeble, but He makes us strong by His powerful Spirit that moves within us. He, by His Spirit, delivers us from sin, and gives us the strength to avoid sin, when temptation crosses our path. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Romans 8:12-13 </span><br />12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.<br /></span><br /><br />If you read through the gospels, the twelve apostles are constantly whining and bickering and fighting over who's the greatest. They were cowards, and sinners. This is because they were living on their own strength. But, in contrast, if you look at the apostles in the book of Acts, suddenly the Apostles are preaching and teaching with authority, they are calling out the religious leaders, they are performing miracles. This is not because they were great men, as we have just seen, they were not. This is because they were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit of God. <br /><br />This is our power for holiness, this is our power for righteousness. Let us leaders aspire to be people of Holiness, who by the Spirit of God, put to death the deeds of the sinful nature.natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-3758519348924793252008-02-13T09:32:00.000-08:002008-02-13T09:51:02.924-08:00McChurch: Christianity as a consumer productYou may have heard about the new phenomena of "satellite" churches that have been popping up... if not, they are basically remote locations that broadcast, via satellite video a sermon from the home or "mother" church. I have to say, I think this is a very scary proposition. I read about it this morning on a friend's blog and felt compelled to write about it. <br /><br />You can see the original article about it here at the Christianity Today website:<br /><a href="http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2008/02/franchising_chu.html" target="_blank">http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2008/02/franchising_chu.html</a><br /><br />I have heard of this before, and didn't think too much of it, but it seems that the concept is starting to spread. My main concern with this model of church is that it turns something that God designed to be tight-knit community of believers, living their lives together, sharing their struggles and triumphs, and turns it into a consumer product, much like going to the movies. We already have enough of a problem with consumerism in today's church, do we really have to go there? This makes a very bold statement, whether intentional or not, that the most important ingredient for church is the sermon, and the most important person is the pastor who is preaching that sermon. Neither of which are biblical ideas... church is about so much more than hearing a sermon, and the local church is about so much more than the pastor. <br /><br />No wonder we have so much immorality in the church, we are unwilling to invest anything but money in it. We want to have our quick-fix and get on with our lives. We (the american church) have forgotten that church is meant to be a community of believers, sharing their lives, sharing their struggles and triumphs, encouraging each other and serving together. It is about giving, not receiving. It is about togetherness, not individuality. It is about community. It is supposed to be the whole body of believers, knit-together, fulfilling their roles, and being the body of Christ. Not just about the pastor and the sermon. <br /><br />I am so thankful that I am part of a community-minded church that invests in people's lives and gets involved. And I know that not all churches in America are like this, but man is it disheartening to hear things like this. I pray that the Lord would shake his church up, and get rid of the things that can be shaken, so that that which cannot be shaken will remain. Lord, purify your bride. Amen.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hebrews 12:26-29</span><br />26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.<br /><br />28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.</span>natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-30807340789302951192007-12-30T11:28:00.000-08:002007-12-30T11:52:34.127-08:00God's FaithfulnessOK, OK I know.... It's been forever since I've posted a blog.<br /><br />But, so much has happened in the last six months, I haven't really been able to process it all, and haven't had much time to think. <br /><br />As I look back on this last year, one thing sticks out in my mind. God's faithfulness. Jen and I started the year out with a sense of desperation. We were hopeless, churchless, feeling pretty much dead spiritually and really just not enjoying life. We prayed and prayed about God's direction for our life, we talked with close friends, thought things through, and were pretty much grasping at straws... We went from being heavily involved in the planting of a church in Longmont that was not where God wanted us to be, to being churchless, and thinking of starting a church on our own... we were desperate. Our lives were not what God had for us, we knew it, we just didn't know what he did have for us. <br /><br />Then, one weekend in May, I decided that we needed to get away and pray and think things through. So, I rented a room up in Estes Park, and we spent some time relaxing and talking. It wasn't until we were on our way home that it hit me. I was talking with Jen about God's direction in our life, and she brought up something that I hadn't thought about in almost a year. You see, the year before, we felt very strongly that God had told us to move to Vail, CO. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... God TOLD you to move to VAIL... right. No, He really did. We had no idea why, but He did. So, anyways, we realized that we had never obeyed God's command to us, we (I) got distracted with this church plant we were involved in and forgot all about it. <br /><br />So, we started to pray about it, and God kept confirming, over and over again that that is what we were supposed to do. Finally, we decided on it. We were moving to Vail. We still had no idea how it was going to work, or when that was going to be. It was amazing how it worked out. We decided to rent our house instead of selling it, and God provided the perfect renters. It was a responsible family of 3, a Grandmother, her Daughter and her Daughter's son. And they wanted to pay 5 months rent up front!<br /><br />Then God provided a place for us in Vail. We had been praying for a lock-off on someone's house, so we could keep our dog, and not have the apartment feel. We looked and looked, and couldn't find anything, so we were about to settle for an apartment, and then, no apartments would let us have our dog. Doors seemed to be closed. People told us, Oh, you'll never find a 2 bedroom lock-off, they don't make them. Then, God's provision.... on craigslist, we found a 2 bedroom lockoff walk-out basement apartment. The owners would let us keep our dog, the rent was the same as we were paying for our house in denver (which is pretty amazing, considering our apartment is the same size, and it is expensive up here!), and they said we could keep our dog in the yard!<br /><br />We prayed for Jen to have a part-time job, so she could also work for me part-time and hopefully get a job that would get us free or discounted ski passes. Then, God provided Jen with a part-time job at our new church. Which is something she's wanted to do for years, using her administrative giftings for ministry purposes. And, he gave her a job working 4 hours a week a beaver creek to get us both free ski passes! (actually, mine was $25, in case you don't understand how huge that is... a vail/beaver creek ski pass is $1800.00.)<br /><br />God met our every prayer, and provided for our every need as we followed Him and His plan for us. It was amazing!<br /><br />Now we have been up here 4 months, are settled, love our new church (Calvary Chapel Vail Valley), are making friends and serving the Lord. The transition has been a bit of a shock, leaving our friends and family, and having to make new ones, but it has been incredible. <br /><br />All that to say, God is Faithful!<br /><br />We just had to follow his plan for us. Not to say that everything should be easy when you follow God, this has not been an easy transition, but it has been a good one. A fulfillment of God's promises and his plan. <br /><br />God is good!<br /><br />Love in Christ, <br />Natenatemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-43401093693254772362007-04-25T18:39:00.000-07:002007-04-25T18:51:24.830-07:00Is doctrine really important?I've been pondering lately....<br /><br />Is doctrine really important? I don't mean doctrines of great importance like those of salvation and the fact that we are saved by grace, but some of the things that we might consider "smaller" like Calvinism vs. Arminianism, or like once you get saved, are you always saved?<br /><br />Should I really worry about these things? Doesn't thinking about these things too much just lead to division and dischord in the church?<br /><br />I've swung back and forth on the pendulum, and rested in God's word.<br /><br /> (1 Timothy 4:16 NIV) Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.<br /><br />(2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NIV) [2] Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. [3] For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. [4] They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.<br /><br />(Titus 1:9 NIV) He [an elder or overseer] must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.<br /><br />(Titus 2:1 NIV) You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.<br /><br />Doctrine is important, and we need to be careful what we believe, and what others around us teach and believe. And if they have doctrine that doesn't line up with the bible, we need to "correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." This means lovingly, not argue and fight over them, but to patiently explain the way of god more accurately, as Priscilla and Aquilla did with Apollos (Acts 18:26). You see, when Priscilla and Aquilla corrected Apollos' doctrine and revealed to him Jesus Christ, he became what God intended for him to be, and we know, by later references, that he was used mightily by God in the early church.<br /><br />So, <br /><br />Watch YOUR doctrine<br />Examine others' doctrine carefully<br />Correct false doctrine lovingly and patiently<br />Search the scriptures daily to make sure what you believe and what others teach are true (Acts 17:11)<br /><br />Much love and grace,<br /><br />natenatemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-44296799594980786262007-02-23T09:10:00.000-08:002007-02-23T09:12:44.388-08:00What on earth does God want from us?What is God's will? The question we all want an answer to but dread to ask. This question seems so complex, but it is so incredibly simple, and yet we, (I included) don't get it. <br /><br />He wants us to passionately pursue Him. That's it. He wants our hearts, our minds, our everything. <br /><br />I often worry about what God wants to do in my life, and think about different things He may have me do. "Does He want me to start a church? Does He want me to be a worship leader? Does He want me to move out of the country and be a missionary?"<br /><br />While all of those things are fine and good, thinking about what God wants me to do is NOT what He wants me to do. (funny huh?) Rather than worrying about figuring out God's will, or figuring out how to carry out His will, my thoughts should be on Him. <br /><br />I just got it this morning, I've heard it a million times, and agreed with it just as many, but I just realized in my heart what it truly means. You see, when we immerse ourselves in Christ, I mean really dive into Him, focus all our efforts on loving Him, connecting with Him, and knowing Him, all of the other stuff seems so much less important. It doesn't really matter whether He wants me to be a pastor or a missionary, those things are great, but they are just vehicles. They are means to an end. And what is that end? It is knowing Him and making Him known. God can accomplish that through me as a car wash worker.<br /><br />A church is great, and starting a church would be a great thing, but thinking about how great it will be to see a church that we may envision happen is wrong thinking. The focus should be on Christ, and if a church happens, that's great, but our fulfillment must come from Him alone. Otherwise we end up with a big church full of people, dead inside, searching for some experience that cannot be found by the methods that they employ. It can only be found in the person of Jesus Christ. (A church is just an example, this can apply to anything.)<br /><br />People often tell me that God doesn't work by formulas, and for the most part I agree with that statement, but there are some places where He definitely does. In Luke 10:25-28 Jesus had the following discussion with an expert in the law. <br /><br /> On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"<br /> <br /> "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"<br /><br /> He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"<br /><br /> "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."<br /><br />Do this and you will live. Personally, I don't think He's just talking about eternal life and salvation here, He's talking about true life, fulfilled life. The life He wants us to live. If you do this, you will live. It's that simple.<br /><br />Elsewhere it says "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt. 6:33 <br /><br />You see, when we seek God with everything that we have, we become bolder in our faith, we start to look more like Jesus, and suddenly, people start taking notice, we start to see God use us, we start to see the things that were on our hearts become reality without our even trying for them.<br /><br />The point is, the thing that God wants to use you for is insignificant, your relationship with Him is not. All of the stops along the road of life, the different positions we hold and things we do are just means to an end, and should not distract us from the real goal. Everything else will fall into place when we seek Him. Don't worry about it! Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, seek first HIM, and you'll be surprised how unimportant all the other stuff becomes.natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-69331654046854508802007-01-18T20:22:00.000-08:002007-01-18T20:26:26.533-08:00The fall of great civilizations"Great Civilizations don't get toppled from the outside, they usually crumble from within. The greatest threat to America is not Terrorism, it is the breakdown of the home." -Rabbi Schmuley Boteach<br /><br />I'm not all that concerned about the fall of America, in fact I beleive it is inevitable, but this Jewish rabbi has a point worthy of some thought.natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-15879491794383725012007-01-12T18:20:00.000-08:002007-01-12T18:56:18.331-08:00Self-Centered ChristianityIt seems to me that modern-day american Christianity has lost it's way.<br /><br />Wait, strike that, true Christianity does not lose it's way, but what many of us call Christianity has strayed far from what the early church called Christianity. <br /><br />We have forgotten the poor and catered to the rich. We have told people that God wants to give them wealth and health, but forgotten that Jesus said "Blessed are you who are poor" and "woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort". <br /><br />We fight for our rights and our freedoms and forget that Jesus has called us to die to ourselves, to lay down our lives. <br /><br />We file lawsuits and get our feathers all ruffled when the government takes the ten commandments out of our schools but forget that we are to "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." <br /><br />We get angry that Illegal Immigrants are coming into our country and taking "our jobs" when we could be ministering to these people. <br /><br />We are the biggest advocates for the war in iraq in a blatant contradiction with what Jesus said when he said "love your enemies" and "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."<br /><br />How do we reconcile these? We cannot. The plain and simple truth is that we either believe one or the other. You cannot be selfless and dead to self and at the same time fight for your rights and freedoms. <br /><br />America has adopted a self-centered Christianity, which is no Christianity at all. We have adopted Benjamin Franklin's idea that "God helps those who help themselves", which is not in the bible, by the way.<br /><br />Biblical Christianity calls for the death of ourselves, the death of our desires, the death of our wants. It tells us to "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."<br /><br />It calls for us be radical followers of a radical Christ who denounced the pleasures of this fallen world for the life and light of heaven. <br /><br />The following scriptures are just a few examples of what I'm talking about.<br /><br />Luke 6:20-26 <br /> "Blessed are you who are poor, <br /> for yours is the kingdom of God. <br /> 21Blessed are you who hunger now, <br /> for you will be satisfied. <br /> Blessed are you who weep now, <br /> for you will laugh. <br /> 22Blessed are you when men hate you, <br /> when they exclude you and insult you <br /> and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.<br /><br /> 23"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your <br />reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. <br /> 24"But woe to you who are rich, <br /> for you have already received your comfort. <br /> 25Woe to you who are well fed now, <br /> for you will go hungry. <br /> Woe to you who laugh now, <br /> for you will mourn and weep. <br /> 26Woe to you when all men speak well of you, <br /> for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets."<br /><br />Philippians 2:3<br />Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.<br /><br />Matthew 5:10<br />Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.<br /><br />Matthew 19:21<br />Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."<br /><br />James 2:5<br />Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?<br /><br />Revelation 3:17<br />You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.<br /><br />James 1:27<br />Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.<br /><br />Ephesians 4:22<br />You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;<br /><br />1 Corinthians 13<br />4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-31246908560238487632007-01-09T08:15:00.000-08:002007-01-09T10:00:04.621-08:00Are We Evangelicals Social Climbing?This post is a direct quote from A.W. Tozer, out of the book "The Warfare of the Spirit", a compilation of his writings. This post really hit me, and makes a real point, one that we all should examine ourselves in the light of.<br /><br />Are We Evangelicals Social Climbing?<br /><br />"Traditionally Christianity has been the religion of the common people. Whenever the upper classes have adopted it in numbers, it has died. Respectability has almost always proved fatal to it.<br /> <br />The reasons back of this are two, one human and the other divine.<br /><br />Schleiermacher has pointed out that at the bottom of all religion there lies a feeling of dependence, a sense of creature helplessness. The simple man who lives close to the earth lives also close to death and knows that he must look for help beyond himself; he knows that there is but a step between him and catastrophe. As he rises in the social and economic scale, he surrounds himself with more and more protective devices and pushes danger (so he thinks) farther and farther from him. Self-confidence displaces the feeling of dependence he once knew and God becomes less necessary to him. Should he stop to think this through he would know better than to place his confidence in things and people; but so badly are we injured by our moral fall that we are capable of deceiving ourselves completely and, if conditions favor it, to keep up the deception for a lifetime.<br /><br />Along with the feeling of security that wealth and position bring comes an arrogant pride that shuts tightly the door of the heart to the waiting Savior. Our Very Important Man may indeed honor a church by joining it, but there is no life in his act. His religion is external and his faith nominal. Conscious respectability has destroyed him.<br /><br />The second reason Christianity tends to decline as its devotees move up the social scale is that God will not respect persons nor share His glory with another. Paul sets this forth plainly enough in his First Corinthians epistle: <br /><br />For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians 1:25–29).<br /><br />When God sent His Son to redeem mankind He sent Him to the home of a working man and He grew up to be what we now call a peasant. When He presented Himself to Israel and launched into His earthly ministry, He was rejected by the respectable religionists and had to look for followers almost exclusively from among the poor, plain people. When the Spirit came and the church was founded, its first members were the socially unacceptable. For generations the church drew her numbers from among the lower classes, individual exceptions occurring now and again, of which Saul of Tarsus was the most noteworthy.<br /><br />During the centuries since Pentecost the path of true Christianity has paralleled pretty closely the path Jesus walked when He was here on earth: it was to be rejected by the great and accepted by the lowly. The institutionalized church has certainly not been poor, nor has she lacked for great and mighty men to swell her membership. But this great church has had no power. Almost always the approval of God has rested upon small and marginal groups whose members were scorned while they lived and managed to gain acceptance only after they had been safely dead several score years.<br /><br />Today we evangelicals are showing signs that we are becoming too rich and too prominent for our own good. With a curious disregard for the lessons of history we are busy fighting for recognition by the world and acceptance by society. And we are winning both. The great and the mighty are now looking our way. The world seems about to come over and join us. Of course we must make some concessions, but these have almost all been made already except for a bit of compromising here and there on such matters as verbal inspiration, special creation, separation and religious tolerance.<br /><br />Evangelical Christianity is fast becoming the religion of the bourgeoisie. The well-to-do, the upper middle classes, the politically prominent, the celebrities are accepting our religion by the thousands and parking their expensive cars outside our church doors, to the uncontrollable glee of our religious leaders who seem completely blind to the fact that the vast majority of these new patrons of the Lord of glory have not altered their moral habits in the slightest nor given any evidence of true conversion that would have been accepted by the saintly fathers who built the churches.<br /><br />Yes, history is a great teacher, but she cannot teach those who do not want to learn. And apparently we do not."natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-7105646600780918742007-01-07T12:17:00.000-08:002007-01-09T08:31:04.298-08:00True Salvation: The life and Spirit of God in our SoulsSin is a hot issue for Christians, what is sin? Or to some, more importantly what isn't sin? It seems that as Christians, many people are simply trying to see what they can get away with without putting the label "sin" on it.<br /><br />Many teachers and pastors give us lessons in avoiding sin, or try to convict us not to sin. We are constantly told to try hard not to sin. But the bible gives us a different insight into sin and salvation, and what it really is and is not.<br /><br />Your conviction need not be to not sin, because sin is not something that you can control (I know that's not what most people will tell you, but read on). Your conviction should be to turn to God, who alone can keep you from sin, and will keep you from sin as you walk with Him.<br /><br />What is sin but the operation of self? What is righteousness but the death of self and life of God within? Our salvation is the death of ourselves and the life of God within us. We cannot claim to be saved and not have the life of God within.<br /><br />1 John 1:6 (New American Standard Bible)<br /> "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;"<br /><br />1 John 2:3-5 (New American Standard Bible)<br />"By this we know that we have come to (B)know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:"<br /><br />How do we know that we are in Him? That we keep his commandments. But doesn't that mean that we should be convicted not to sin? No! How do we keep His commandments then? Only b ythe life and light of God brought to a new birth within our souls! We cannot do it on our own, it must be Christ in us, which is our only hope of glory!<br /><br />Philippians 2:13 (New American Standard Bible)<br />"for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."<br /><br />So what can possibly be our salvation but the life of God brought forth in our souls?natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2548951536627562834.post-37408826337533882602007-01-07T12:13:00.000-08:002007-01-07T12:16:37.696-08:00First post!!!Hi, <br /><br />Thanks for visiting my blog, this is my first post so I'll keep it light! Thank you for visiting, Here you'll find thoughts and insights into the Christian experience, how Christianity relates to our world, our politics and our lives. You may not agree with all of my thoughts posted here, but I'll do my best to explain my views and how I reached them through my study of scripture.<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />natemorris1natemorris1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06091001767350747518noreply@blogger.com0