Where are you?
Genesis 3:9-" But the Lord God called to the man "Where are you?"
God is seeking out man? The power of the universe? The creator of all? The essence of all existence? Yet this Deity, our God, will seek us out!! He will individually call to every person from the strong to the weak-each and everyone! He will ask" where are you? Where are you in your relationship with Me the God of all?" This means He will call to me and you. An incredible reality!!
He ,of course, knows the answer to His question. What He wants is for US to be cognitive of the exact nature and depth of that relationship. To ponder, to acknowledge and then if we see our short comings- to confess. God has given us access through our Lord Jesus. We must seek out this access through prayer and the Bible. Through these mediums the Holy Spirit will imbue us with proper understanding of Jesus and thus proper understanding of God. Then when God asks "Where are you___?" we will be able to answer " in the Light of Jesus-Father."
How much will we then be blessed? If all the water in Niagara Falls were Gods blessings then it would all be to water one flower-you.
Many changes ahead for Higher Grounds. We have changed the time to a 9:45 start( Gary begins speaking at that time). We are in discussion about the future of Higher Grounds and all imput about your desires is needed and appreciated!!
Y`all have a great week as spring brings us so many of God`s blessings.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
O4/20/2008
A missing brick
Gary was led this week to speak from Zechariah 4:10. "Who despises the day of small things?" We often over look the myriad small things that can be done in the name of Jesus. Each small Christian act contributes to the larger picture that is Christianity. Taking the time to speak kindly to a stranger or acquaintance in a Wal-Mart might seem inconsequential but what if that is the event that turns the persons day around? What if this sets off a serious of changes in that persons attitudes that changes her entire life? Not so inconsequential, in fact massive.
Too often we seek to be used in large ways for Christ only to overlook the real building blocks that make up our faith. These "bricks" of small deeds and kindness` are how great temples are built. I was thinking of Joe the brick layer.
At the time of Zechariah the Israelites were building a small temple to God. Many scoffed at their efforts. Joe was one of the bricklayers of the temple and succumbed to these taunts and occasionally would leave out a brick in unseen places. "Whats the dif?" he thought "a brick here or there ain`t a gonna be that important." You know what happened as the missing bricks allowed water in and eventually created weak points in the walls of the temple. Without repairs the damage could become disastrous.
Thus it is with Christs Temple on earth. If we do not do the small daily nice things then the entirety of the temple itself is compromised. A day of small things is a day upon which the Temple of Christ is built!!
An aside that I thought was interesting from Gary`s talk. He interjected his name into the sermons verse. "Gary do you despise the day of small things?" I tried it out " for God so loved Tony that He gave His only begotten Son". "Tony, do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Pick your favorite verse and if applicable apply your own name into the verse. Sure seems to make a difference !!! Cool stuff.
Y`all have a great week. Each and every kindness that you do is a building block of Christ`s glorious Temple on earth. A kabillion small tributes to God add up!!
Gary was led this week to speak from Zechariah 4:10. "Who despises the day of small things?" We often over look the myriad small things that can be done in the name of Jesus. Each small Christian act contributes to the larger picture that is Christianity. Taking the time to speak kindly to a stranger or acquaintance in a Wal-Mart might seem inconsequential but what if that is the event that turns the persons day around? What if this sets off a serious of changes in that persons attitudes that changes her entire life? Not so inconsequential, in fact massive.
Too often we seek to be used in large ways for Christ only to overlook the real building blocks that make up our faith. These "bricks" of small deeds and kindness` are how great temples are built. I was thinking of Joe the brick layer.
At the time of Zechariah the Israelites were building a small temple to God. Many scoffed at their efforts. Joe was one of the bricklayers of the temple and succumbed to these taunts and occasionally would leave out a brick in unseen places. "Whats the dif?" he thought "a brick here or there ain`t a gonna be that important." You know what happened as the missing bricks allowed water in and eventually created weak points in the walls of the temple. Without repairs the damage could become disastrous.
Thus it is with Christs Temple on earth. If we do not do the small daily nice things then the entirety of the temple itself is compromised. A day of small things is a day upon which the Temple of Christ is built!!
An aside that I thought was interesting from Gary`s talk. He interjected his name into the sermons verse. "Gary do you despise the day of small things?" I tried it out " for God so loved Tony that He gave His only begotten Son". "Tony, do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Pick your favorite verse and if applicable apply your own name into the verse. Sure seems to make a difference !!! Cool stuff.
Y`all have a great week. Each and every kindness that you do is a building block of Christ`s glorious Temple on earth. A kabillion small tributes to God add up!!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
4/13/2008
And in this corner..
This week Gary spoke from Mark chapter 9 emphasising verse 24"Lord. I believe, but help me with my unbelief." Gary used a boxing analogy in that often we are in the boxing ring of life. We might have many foes at different times but one of the toughest is the foe of doubt. As doubt stands across the ring and glares at us with that Mike Tyson( a nasty boxer) look we realize that he is a difficult foe. It is not so much that he can defeat us in this particular fight but that he can beat us up so bad that we are weak in all other fights!!
Lest we underestimate the dangers of this foe we only need to look at Christ Himself as he asked" My God, My God why have you forsaken me?"on the cross as He too fought the Battle of Doubt. The disciples constantly did battle-remember Doubting Thomas? So too are we in struggle against this relentless enemy. How then are we to prevail?
Just as we prevail over other worldly enemies. We beseech Jesus as the desperate father in Mark did. Jesus says in John 6:35 " I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry." Perhaps it might be prudent to start most of our prayers with the request that doubt be cast aside for surely having done so getting guidance from Jesus will be so much easier.
The Higher Grounds Ministry is staying strong but we are perhaps under going some changes. We will stay dedicated to Christ`s teachings and to uplifting anyone who seeks this type of fellowship. We seek everyone`s prayers and input so the decesions that are made are in God`s Glory and help us continue to be under Christ`s umbrella of protection.
Y`all have a great week as life in Christ is beautiful-there`s no doubt about it!!
This week Gary spoke from Mark chapter 9 emphasising verse 24"Lord. I believe, but help me with my unbelief." Gary used a boxing analogy in that often we are in the boxing ring of life. We might have many foes at different times but one of the toughest is the foe of doubt. As doubt stands across the ring and glares at us with that Mike Tyson( a nasty boxer) look we realize that he is a difficult foe. It is not so much that he can defeat us in this particular fight but that he can beat us up so bad that we are weak in all other fights!!
Lest we underestimate the dangers of this foe we only need to look at Christ Himself as he asked" My God, My God why have you forsaken me?"on the cross as He too fought the Battle of Doubt. The disciples constantly did battle-remember Doubting Thomas? So too are we in struggle against this relentless enemy. How then are we to prevail?
Just as we prevail over other worldly enemies. We beseech Jesus as the desperate father in Mark did. Jesus says in John 6:35 " I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry." Perhaps it might be prudent to start most of our prayers with the request that doubt be cast aside for surely having done so getting guidance from Jesus will be so much easier.
The Higher Grounds Ministry is staying strong but we are perhaps under going some changes. We will stay dedicated to Christ`s teachings and to uplifting anyone who seeks this type of fellowship. We seek everyone`s prayers and input so the decesions that are made are in God`s Glory and help us continue to be under Christ`s umbrella of protection.
Y`all have a great week as life in Christ is beautiful-there`s no doubt about it!!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
04/06/2008
Happiness-one fine gift
Romans 8:31-"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Well, cancer, poverty,accidents, depression just to name a few things that might be against us. To borrow from a song "He never promised us a rose garden." God`s world is what it is. Why he made things the way they are is His provence. As I said in an earlier BLOG everything is a piece of a very large mosaic whose totality is perfection. We must deal with the pieces that are our lives.
Now, God does not leave us hanging. I am reading a good book "Happiness is" by Shawn Shea. Mr. Shea calls each of us happiness machines. By this he means that we all have the capability for happiness and I agree. I think that God has given us this gift- the gift of happiness. With free will we have the sad ability to spurn this gift. In doing so we fight against God`s basic nature and of course ours-happiness.
By giving us a basic nature of happiness we have the ability to rise above ALL evil or malicious forces. This is exemplified by the Book of Job. God wants us to be happy and thus gives us the ability to do so. I would say that is a FINE gift-yes? This is what God means when He says "what can come against us"? He intends that we trust in God. By trusting in God we accept the basic premise that he gave us the ability to be happy and thus we will tap into that reserve and presto! We find joy!!
God made John Merrick. John Merrick is better known as the "Elephant Man". He was given this nomenclature because he had a disease that terribly misformed him into what most folks would only discribe as grotesque. Almost inhuman looking he actually caused people to scream. Mr. Merrick had a horrible early life as a side show freak. He was eventually rescued by a doctor name Sir Frederick Trevs and lived out a short life as a curiosity of English society. Now, whats the point? Well, this hideous outcast of mankind was a happy man!!!! Yes, he had the ability to tap into God`s gift of a basic nature of happiness and with an attitude of gratitude overcome things we can only imagine.
John Merrick had it, Johnny Plimpton has it ,I have it and so do you-God`s gift of happiness in the face of ALL adversity. "Don`t worry be happy" the calypso song says- and God is singing it too!
Y`all have a great week and go ahead and wrap yourself in God`s cloak of happiness and joy.
Romans 8:31-"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Well, cancer, poverty,accidents, depression just to name a few things that might be against us. To borrow from a song "He never promised us a rose garden." God`s world is what it is. Why he made things the way they are is His provence. As I said in an earlier BLOG everything is a piece of a very large mosaic whose totality is perfection. We must deal with the pieces that are our lives.
Now, God does not leave us hanging. I am reading a good book "Happiness is" by Shawn Shea. Mr. Shea calls each of us happiness machines. By this he means that we all have the capability for happiness and I agree. I think that God has given us this gift- the gift of happiness. With free will we have the sad ability to spurn this gift. In doing so we fight against God`s basic nature and of course ours-happiness.
By giving us a basic nature of happiness we have the ability to rise above ALL evil or malicious forces. This is exemplified by the Book of Job. God wants us to be happy and thus gives us the ability to do so. I would say that is a FINE gift-yes? This is what God means when He says "what can come against us"? He intends that we trust in God. By trusting in God we accept the basic premise that he gave us the ability to be happy and thus we will tap into that reserve and presto! We find joy!!
God made John Merrick. John Merrick is better known as the "Elephant Man". He was given this nomenclature because he had a disease that terribly misformed him into what most folks would only discribe as grotesque. Almost inhuman looking he actually caused people to scream. Mr. Merrick had a horrible early life as a side show freak. He was eventually rescued by a doctor name Sir Frederick Trevs and lived out a short life as a curiosity of English society. Now, whats the point? Well, this hideous outcast of mankind was a happy man!!!! Yes, he had the ability to tap into God`s gift of a basic nature of happiness and with an attitude of gratitude overcome things we can only imagine.
John Merrick had it, Johnny Plimpton has it ,I have it and so do you-God`s gift of happiness in the face of ALL adversity. "Don`t worry be happy" the calypso song says- and God is singing it too!
Y`all have a great week and go ahead and wrap yourself in God`s cloak of happiness and joy.
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