Sunday, March 26, 2017

Famous Last Words

It is Finished
Dave Ens www.EasTview.org 
Worked hard all summer in the hot sun. Helping a brick layer and fell down dehydrated. 
Water is so necessary. Thirsty signifies something missing. 
Jesus said I'm empty I thirst. 

Later, Jesus knew that everything had been done. To make the Scriptures come true he said, "I am thirsty."  There was a jar full of sour wine there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus' mouth. When he tasted the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and died.
John 19:28‭-‬30 ERV

But I feel like a worm, less than human! People insult me and look down on me.  Everyone who sees me makes fun of me. They shake their heads and stick out their tongues at me.  They say, "Call to the Lord for help. Maybe he will save you. If he likes you so much, surely he will rescue you!"  My strength is gone, like water poured out on the ground. My bones have separated. My courage is gone.   My mouth is as dry as a piece of baked pottery. My tongue is sticking to the roof of my mouth. You have left me dying in the dust.  They divide my clothes among themselves, and they throw lots for what I am wearing.
Psalms 22:6‭-‬8‭, ‬14‭-‬15‭, ‬18 ERV

Patience and thirst don't go together. Jesus is longing for things to be made right. Through the cross things are made right. God's desire. We are invited to be made right. There is a promise and a hope of reconciliation. 

Like a deer drinking from a stream, I reach out to you, my God.   My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go to meet with him?  Instead of food, I have only tears day and night, as my enemies laugh at me and say, "Where is your God?"  Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I tell myself, "Wait for God's help! You will again be able to praise him, your God, the one who will save you." In my sadness I say, "I will remember you from here on this small hill,  where Mount Hermon and the Jordan River meet."
Psalms 42:1‭-‬3‭, ‬5‭-‬6 ERV

CS Lewis says we are half hearted creatures. 

John 4 Jesus offered living water. He can satisfy and produce a stream of living water. 
Jesus answered, "You don't know what God can give you. And you don't know who I am, the one who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water."
John 4:10 ERV
If the people of God can't reflect the glory of God how can we achieve peace? 

You are invited to the Lord's Table. The Bread represents the body of Christ and the fruit of the vine represents the blood of Jesus. Reconciliation is what he does. 

Jesus chose to go to the cross. That's clear. One88.org has a Bible study and a fellow asked why would Jesus heal on the Sabbath knowing he would be hated for it? Jesus took what the leaders wanted to control and showed them how to celebrate.

What difference does it make that he chose to go to the cross? He knows that in His death we are set free. 

It is finished. It is the ultimate completion of God's plan from the fall of man. 

We can now abandon our miseries and join the new covenant. Thank God for the new covenant. Let go and live. Drink the fruit of the vine and be blessed. 

Our Father everlasting
The all creating One
God Almighty

Through Your Holy Spirit
Conceiving Christ the Son
Jesus our Savior

I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the name of Jesus

Our Judge and our Defender
Suffered and crucified
Forgiveness is in You

Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, March 19, 2017

The Life of Pie

My brothers and sisters, if a person claims to have faith but does nothing, that faith is worth nothing. Faith like that cannot save anyone. But someone might argue, "Some people have faith, and others have good works." My answer would be that you can't show me your faith if you don't do anything. But I will show you my faith by the good I do.
James 2:14‭, ‬18 ERV

10/40 window has 50% of world's population. 93% are poor. Only 3% of mission effort goes there. 
We have a budget of over $500,000 for that area. 
2500 of the 6500 ethnic people groups are unreached. We adopted 5 of them. 

The following estimate of "unreached" non-Christian populations in the 10/40 Window:

  • 865 million Muslims
  • 550 million Hindus
  • 275 million Buddhists
  • 140 million in 2550 tribal groups (mainly animist)
  • 17 million Jews[32]

Andrew a Canadian and his group started to pray for 2 unreached groups. They got taken to a Beduin tribe 5 hours away. A lot of the tribe became Christian. The chief built a safe house to shelter Christians. 

During the revolution 52 churches were bombed. 

CotR Sponsored a Bible translation in Nepal. Pastor got a local language copy. Now they are doing another translation. 

Now sponsoring pastors and church planters in Ethiopia. 100 planters will plant 600 churches a year. 

Somalia is Muslim with no rain. 100 children are dying every day. 68,000 people live in a refugee camp. 1,000 people have been identified as the neediest and will be fed and evangelized this year. 

Shalom Grateful Unique
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Famous Last Words - Lent

Dave Ens www.EasTview.org 
Welcome to Daylight Savings

We have it backwards. We think strength is the conqueror. Strength is forgiveness. 
Jesus showed us that. 
Resolved to do God's will. 
Luke 23:33-35 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing."  The soldiers threw dice to divide Jesus' clothes between them.
Luke 23:34 ERV

http://www.one88.org had an incident. Someone came in to agitate Doug the Irishman. Not a good idea. They almost got into a fight until Doug decided to sit down and use a different Strength. The Jesus way. 

Forgiveness is costly. Who did Jesus say that to? Romans, Jews, disciples, you, me? 
The difference between Jim Bakker is that we haven't been found out. Darkness runs through every human heart. Tony Campolo. 

World class sinners are to blame for putting Jesus on the cross? Not me. I only need a wink from divinity?

When Jesus said that, it's a call for us to understand that we are in need of forgiveness. 

The Prodigal son realized he was in a mess. Father I've sinned against heaven and you. There was more forgiveness than he could imagine. 

Talked to someone recently who asked for forgiveness. Dave tried to brush it off. But the individual wanted real forgiveness. Not it don't matter. Real forgiveness helps us live together. You are way more valuable. 
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord because he trusted me and gave me this work of serving him. He gives me strength. Here is a true statement that should be accepted without question: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them. But I was given mercy so that in me Christ Jesus could show that he has patience without limit. Christ showed his patience with me, the worst of all sinners. He wanted me to be an example for those who would believe in him and have eternal life.
1 Timothy 1:12‭, ‬15‭-‬16 ERV

Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, March 05, 2017

Family Fortune not money

Church of the Rock

Babies come without instructions
They come unassembled
They are not returnable 

KIDS
3. Develop a family vision
Without a vision they perish
Isaiah 65:23
Kids are to be a blessing
Their work won't be wasted, and their children won't die of dreadful diseases. I will bless their children and their grandchildren.
Isaiah 65:23 CEVDCUS06
The Prodigal son - 60% will come back by the time they are 35
Train up initiate the kids on the path. Like training them to ride the bike. Point them run alongside and then let them go. 

The Jewish people are still succeeding. 2% of the population but a large % of leadership. 
WASP culture is in decline. It's all about parenting. New book. The Triple Package. Parenting allows certain groups to succeed. 
1. Confidence God's Chosen Superiority Exceptional Blessed. Believe it humbly. 1958 Francis Tarkenton grabbed the ball and ran with it. He has all the records. He's the greatest quarterback.

2. Humility Insecurity. Work harder. Jews have been the most persecuted and they work extra hard. They earn merit. Tell them they need to work hard or they'll be bums on the street. Mini succor is to blame. No keeping score. All winners. No. That doesn't work. A little insecurity won't hurt you. God picked Moses the looser. Thinking of yourself less. Grab a bucket and clean the windows. 

3. Impulse control self discipline. Hard to teach. God said don't eat from that tree. They did. 
Lines in the sand don't work. 10 commandments are restrictive? They are sign posts on the side of the wide road. Not restrictive. 
Don't box them in. 
Dad had a few rules. No long hair. Argued about it. March 4, 1966 the biggest snow storms. 1996 we jumped off the roof with the kids. 
We have to run alongside

KIDS
4. Stay vigilant all your life. Moses got corrected at over 80 years old. 93 year old mother kept praying for her 73 year old daughter till she finally accepted Christ. 
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)