Tag Archives: God

Pastor Wrinkles: Shaken & Stirred Pt. 1

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Here is an excerpt from Pastor Wrinkles’ (yours truly) latest sermon, Shaken & Stirred

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine,which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18, 20

Ian Fleming made famous the statement “Shaken not stirred” in reference to how his quintessential character, James Bond, enjoyed  martinis. I use the reference to ask a question as I begin. Which is more exciting to you, a James Bond movie or your Christian walk? O.K. maybe you’re not a Bond fan. Allow me to rephrase it, Which is more exciting to you your devotional life or the Patriots game? Which is more exciting to you Six Flags or prayer meeting?

I can hear someone  saying “That’s Not fair Pastor J. You are asking us to compare apples and oranges. Church is church and fun is fun. Church is not fun and fun is not church.”

Ah and now you may  have discovered the root of lukewarmness. You see somewhere along the line we have taken church, the divinely created and appointed ecclesia of God, the most dynamic world-changing agency of all time and we have turned it into dry boring religion that somehow is less adventure than Disney land.

Read my words very carefully now because I do not want you to miss this. Christianity, your Christianity, was meant to be an adventure that both shakes and stirs you to the very core of your being. If it is not doing that there is something missing. You must find the missing piece if ever you are to truly enjoy your relationship with Jesus and let me tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt God’s desire is for you to enjoy your relationship with Him!

Join us for more tomorrow!

Pastor Wrinkles: What Are You Not Praying For?

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7 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “SovereignLord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

3 So the Lord relented.

“This will not happen,” the Lord said.

4 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. 5 Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

6 So the Lord relented.

“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.

7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb,[a] with a plumb line[b]in his hand. 8 And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”

“A plumb line,” I replied.

Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.

9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed
    and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined;
    with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.” Amos 7:1-9

I was meditating this morning on the power of prayer.  In Amos chapter 7 prayer was even able to push-off a sovereign judgment (that is a HUGE DEAL in case you are wondering).Prayer does change things but not because it is intrinsically powerful. Prayer changes things because it moves the heart of God. Maybe it would be better to say, God changes things because His people pray.

However you choose to relay the message it must be noted that prayer is a necessary part of the work of God in the world. We must pray because for whatever reason God has tied His movement in our world to our prayers. When we pray in faith God moves. When we don’t pray in faith God limits His movement.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” MA. 21: 21, 22 NIV

“You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:2,3 NIV

So let me ask you, “What are you not praying for?”

Sunday Post: Perspective

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WATER SNAKE 2013

Our word this week is perspective:

Just a part of the pot

Just a part of the pot

Raphael Petrucci was quoted as saying, “The fact is we have confused one system of perspective with perspective as a whole”.
Let’s face it our eyes and our minds are easily deceived. What we perceive as real many times has more to do with where we are standing than what is true. Perspective is important. The story as we see it lends a piece of the truth to the world, but lets not confuse what we understand with the whole truth. Only God knows that and He has yet to show all His cards.
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 2 Cor. 2:9 NLT

 Tell me about a time when your limited perspective caused you to second guess God.

If you would like to write your own perspective post join the gang over at: http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/sunday-post-perspective/

Pastor Wrinkles: Ways or Deeds

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He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: Psm. 103:7 NIV

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: Psm. 103:7 NIV

 

We discussed this verse of Scripture during our staff devotion this morning. I suppose a Bible study on the verse could lead to a discussion about the sovereignty of God versus the free will of man. But whichever way you choose to lean there is an intimation here that  what Moses was given (the knowledge of God’s ways) was far and away better than what the people of Israel were given (knowledge of His deeds).

Now while I see in Scripture that God is sovereign (and who wouldn’t see that) I also see in Scripture that man has free will. I can’t do anything about the sovereignty of God but I am fully able to choose my own will. So as far it concerns me I want to have the better part of Psalm 103:7. I want to know God’s ways!

As I was pondering this verse the Holy Spirit dropped three nuggets of grace into my soul that helped me to understand why knowing God’s ways is infinitely better than knowing just his deeds:

1. When I know God’s ways I no longer doubt the Holy Spirit’s motives. Knowing God’s character helps me not to be afraid of the move of the Holy Spirit in church. Conversely only knowing his deeds can leave me shaken and afraid like the children of Israel before the fires of Mt. Zion when His supernatural power moves in my life.

2. When I know God’s ways I become all that God wants me to become as an actor in His Divine Drama. When I only know his deeds I remain a spectator in the audience of the Jesus Show.

AND FINALLY

3. When I know God’s ways I understand that God can be relied on in every situation. When I only know his deeds I again doubt his motives and lean more towards  trying to solve all of my own issues.

I have to admit that as I read through these blessings of knowing God’s ways I am coming to understand I have some more knowing to grasp. Number three in particular is one I struggle with. How about you?

Pastor Wrinkles:The Ever-Present Now

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Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof Gardens

 

In his well-known book, The Screwtape Letters,  C.S. Lewis writes from the vantage point of a devil. He writes, “The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which our Enemy has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present–either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure. “

Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” MA. 6:34 NIV

The truth is God dwells in eternity which is not lots of time but no time and all time together. He is able to inhabit past, present, future and something else besides which is beyond any of those things. But He has made us different in that we cannot dwell in anything but the ever-present now. We remember the past. We can minimally plan for the future, and He has set eternity in our hearts according to Ecclesiastes. But we can only dwell in and deal with the present.

While this may frustrate us it is God’s plan. The Psalmist writes, “As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—Psm. 103:13-17

To paraphrase Lewis the present is the context in which we identify with eternity. We understand eternity only as we come to, “obey the present voice of conscience, bear the present cross, receive the present grace,  and give thanks for the present pleasure. “

While I suppose we can’t speak absolutely about why God has made this so I believe we can say with some authority that the reason God has made us like this is because in this form we are continually offered the opportunity to put forth that attitude which He so deeply enjoys…faith. As we walk in faith He becomes our hope and we then have access to that greatest force in all the universe…God’s love. So it is our very diminished capacity, living in the ever-present now, that has the potential to create the cycle of which I Corinthians 13 speaks so highly…“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Cor. 13:13

The Netherlands 2013 Day 6

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100_1960

Keukenhof Gardens

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. ISa. 61: 11

100_1961

Keukenhof Gardens

 Do not be afraid, land of Judah;
    be glad and rejoice.
Surely the Lord has done great things!
22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
    for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.
The trees are bearing their fruit;
    the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
    because he is faithful.
He sends you abundant showers,
    both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—Joel 2: 21-25

 

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Keukenhof Gardens

26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26,27

Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof Gardens

I hope you enjoyed these photos and Scriptures inspired by Keukenhof  Gardens!

23 Pt. 23

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23 Pt. 23

“… and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Psalm 23:6 KJV

It fits that pt. 23 is the last session we shall have together in Psalm 23. Today we are going to be talking about Heaven! It’s one of my favorite topics. In fact I like it so much I have written 110 blogs on the subject of Heaven between “Lillie-Put” and “Reinventing the We’ll”.
” 

What do we know about this place? Some people think it’s all clouds and harps and singing for eternity. David seemed to want to go there. I suppose for a guy who loved music the clouds and harps thing seemed like a pretty attractive deal; But what about those poor guys who can’t carry a tune in a bucket? You know those guys who can hardly sit through an offertory? Clouds and harps for eternity hardly sounds like a plan for the man or woman of action!….And what about the ADHD among us? Spending all eternity in one place doing one thing? Torture!

Let me rest your mind. Heaven is much more than clouds and harps and angels singing. It’s more than just “a great big house with lots and lots of room” as the song goes. I’d like to start with your thoughts.

What do you think Heaven is? What will it be like?

23 Pt. 22

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23 Pt. 22

 

“…shall follow me all the days of my life” Psalm 23:6 KJV

       Many years ago I came to a place in my life where I felt like God had played fifty-two pick-up with my heart. I was at loose ends with ministry and didn’t even feel like I had a church family (I realize now that was mostly from my end not anybody else’s). During that season I actually turned my back on God for a time and decided that if what was going on in my life was truly God’s plan, then I could handle things better on my own, thank you very much!

Have you ever been there?

It was a terrible time. I shut God out and God did what God does with all of His children who come to such dark valleys; He pursued me; He stalked me; He followed me!

And for a while I was ticked because I didn’t want to be followed. I wanted Him to go away. I was mad at Him for treating me “wrong”; But His favor and His forgiveness pursued me… wouldn’t leave me alone even for a minute!

This is what the phrase “…shall follow me all the days of my life.” means.  The word is “RADAPH”. It’s the word used to indicate passionate pursuit, even harassment in some cases. It’s the picture of the lovesick boy who won’t leave the damsel alone despite her attempts to discourage his advances.

God pursues us with His mercy and his goodness! Today He is actively wooing me to come closer to Him with His favor and His mercy, because He passionately desires me! ME! I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT!

I am so glad He did not give up on me all those years ago. Even when I became faithless, He remained faithful!

How does this phrase challenge or confirm your view of God?

23 Pt. 21

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23 Pt. 21

Sorry this was held up everyone. I didn’t get as much computer time as I thought I would in PA. My son’s graduation from college however was  absolutely fantabulous! Pictures are to come of course.

“and mercy…” Psalm 23:6

I asked a leading question the other day. It boils down to the ages-old query “how could a merciful God consign anyone to Hell?”

I think  we have to understand that mercy is a word closely connected with covenant. A covenant in David’s day was a binding agreement between two parties. In the agreement both sides had responsibilities towards and privileges from the other party. Mercy is one of God’s covenant responsibilities:

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” Deut. 7:9

“And he said, LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:” I Kings 8:23

      In David’s day God kept His covenant with those who obeyed the law and followed the sacrifice faithfully…. In other words, with those who chose to enter into covenant with Him.

Today God has made a new covenant offer to mankind. It’s called the New Testament. Mercy is still God’s responsibility. Our responsibility is to trust in the sacrifice of Jesus as Paul wrote in Romans, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Romans 10:9,10 NLT

God’s mercy you see is available to everyone. It is accessible to all. Still it must be received by faith. Further, Jesus must be confessed as Lord in order for mercy to be accessed. Sadly this is the jumping off point for many.

I once had a pastor say to me “Mr. Lillie you and I do not see eye to eye on many subjects and I will tell you right now if I have to accept Jesus in order to go to Heaven then I will be perfectly happy to go to Hell.”

You see a loving God does not consign anyone to Hell. Unloving humans separate themselves unto it.

How many do you know who are knowingly walking the path away from God’s mercy?