Mark 9:35

The one constant in life we all face is change and there is nothing to be done about it.  Embrace it, reject it, ignore it, maybe even bury it or close our eyes and let it pass.  No matter what we do change occurs and a new set of circumstances present itself even if we distract ourselves from the shifting ground beneath our feet.  I like the idea of attaching myself to change for this allows me to not hold to tightly to today's circumstances.  I am asking God to change me and I have and am changing into something, and only God knows what that is. 

     Well I have found a new thing!  See I have a crazy love for Christ, my family, and the church I pastor and along with this revelation I also found out  that I have a crazy kind of love to help as many people come to know Christ as possible.  The new change is an old idea "whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else." (Mark 9:35)  I am attaching myself to this change and am going to lead by serving. 

     The only problem is I have no idea what this new change is or how it will change the things around me but I will keep you updated.  Let the serving begin.

PRAYER

In our marriage class last night we ran across the following prayer by author Gary Thomas --
 "Lord, how can I love my spouse today like she's (he) never been loved and never will be loved?"

Update

The fast is nearly ¾ over and I find myself thinking about how difficult it can be   to know the will of God.  Commonsense can be used to make a quick decision, my instincts and experience can lead me to making a good natural decision but what does God want.  How do we find a “wisdom that will enter your heart” (Prov 2:10) a “knowledge that will be pleasant to your soul” in the midst of the confusion we all face.  I know what my mind says for selfishness speaks loudest, then if that is rejected then it easily jumps to the natural to figure this out, but that leaves God out and I merely use what I know.   Paul lets us know that the “righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17).  To live by faith leads me to trust God without seeing, to dig deeper in the word and prayer, to shake off the natural and go to into the deep things of God. I guess a 24 hour fast is not going to do this but I seem to be diving anyways into the deep.  Wonder what I will find?  Quite possibly not the natural or the common but the perfect will of God which is the very thing I long for.

Declare a holy fast

When:  October 23, 2012 8:00 PM to October 24, 8:00 PM

“Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD” Joel 1:14

1.     I am asking all small groups and Bible Studies who meet on Wednesday to begin their groups with prayer- seeking Gods will for Cornerstone Church and it’s attenders.

2.    To seek for forgiveness of sin with true repentance.

3.    To break addictions and strongholds that prevents an intimate relationship with God.

4.    That God would restore broken relationships.

5.    That we would return to heart holiness and our services would be free to experience the power of God.

6.    That harmony and unity and peace would be shown in relationships between Cornerstones attenders.

7.    That the staff of Cornerstone would be blessed with unity of vision and that our families would be protected.

8.    That the Church Board would experience the insight and discernment to know the will of God.

9.     That wisdom would be given in the next set of elections and that the Holy Spirit would lead the body of Christ in discerning the Fathers plan.

I Like Coffee

I like coffee, always have and I especially like Tim Horton’s coffee and I am not sure why.  It’s bold and I like that, but I think it is really the sleeve they put around the coffee cup that keeps me coming back.  The other day I pulled up to Tim Horton’s and ordered my large coffee and asked like I always do for a sleeve.  The teller stated,  “they were out of sleeves” so I guess I would have to drink my coffee sleeveless.  The sleeve and the cup go together like a ball and glove, like Garry and Annette, and I as I drove back to the office drinking the sleeveless coffee it was a constant reminder of how much I missed the sleeve.

During the summer we have vacations, family reunions and many other necessary things that divert our attention. To keep your faith strong we still need to worship God and keep a good pace in our devotions.  This summer we are encouraging taking a break and many of our summer Sunday Nights are fellowship geared.  Remember to keep your relationship with God vibrant by starting it with a daily devotional, continuing to pay your tithe and by involving yourself in mentoring others about Jesus Christ.  You really could be the sleeve, that something extra in you families’ life that makes their day better.

Ashes to Fire

The cross of discipleship is exactly the same for every follower of Christ "it's the cross upon which each of us is crucified to our own selfishness." When we willingly die this death, we are liberated into the life of the kingdom. The call at Cornerstone is not only to be a kingdom builder but to have the king in us.

Ashes to Fire

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid: that foundation is Christ Jesus." The prayer this evening took me back to a prayer offered many years ago as I sought God with my whole heart for the first time. John Wesley prayed "Cleanse me from all filthiness of flesh and spirit that I might follow you with a pure heart and mind."

Ashes to Fire

Pretty pumped about Ashes to Fire starting tomorrow with daily personal devotions beginning in the morning and I hope to see everyone at the Ash Wednesdays service at 7:00 PM.

 

Like most of you I am thinking about what I am fasting for lent and I want to encourage you to use this time to become passionate in about your relationship with Christ.