The Vertical Church Tour

 

Michael and I were blessed to be able to attend James MacDonald's Vertical Church Tour last week. It touched me, as Im sure it touched almost everyone there. He talked about the church needing to get back to being focused on the vertical - a relationship with Christ.
If you ever have the chance to attend a James MacDonald event, I would highly recommend going. God has definitely blessed James with the gift of teaching and preaching. I have never heard a James MacDonald sermon that I havent been struck by. I want to make a more regular habit of going online and listening to Walk in the Word.

Interesting Points...

I'm not really a fan of Joyce Meyer but today I watched an hour long sermon of her's on YouTube. Here are a few points that are really relevant to me right now.

-What Satan means for harm, God intends for good.

-It may look bad now, it may hurt now, but somewhere down the road, it is going to work out for my good.

-He can take a mess and turn it into a miracle

-The attitude you have while you are in the wilderness determines how long you will be there

-If you stay busy thinking about right things, the devil won't be able to fill your mind with wrong things.

Jesus, Religion and the Church

Video Number One:

Is the Church really such a negative? If the church is filled with people who love Jesus, then where did the church "go wrong"?
Check out the next video posted in response.
Video Number Two:

Jesus spent years with the disciples - what was the core of His teaching to them? What does it really mean to be a student of Jesus?

3 Characteristics of an Authentic Follower:
1. Loving others - An evidence of growing in Christ is steadily increasing humble love for others. We should be agents of the greatest love ever expressed to the world. Love assumes the best in people. Hate assumes the worst.
2. Bearing Fruit - starts out personal - developing the fruit of the Spirit and then out of that character will flow a person who is actively engaged in making a difference in the world.
3. Abiding in Jesus and His Word - discipleship begins in me. Mold and shape yourself after Jesus - don't get to the end and look back and say, what a waste.

It is not these authentic followers that give religion and the church a bad name.
He is talking about hypocrisy.
It begins with me. It begins with you.
Video Number Three:

Sunday Reflections

So I went to my new home church again this morning, and the sermon was awesome. It is just what I needed to hear today. The pastor was talking about the story of Lazarus, which is a story I've heard a hundred times, but today the Lord really spoke to me. Let me share:

Dawning is the Day - Part 1
The Heart of God
John 11:1-44

-God uses turning points in life to strengthen our faith and relationship with Him.
-vs. 4 Its for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.

-When Jesus heard about Lazarus, He waited. Sometimes He is silent when I need Him the most. Sometimes it feels as though He is not acting as quickly as I want Him to. I want Him to swoop in now. But it doesn't happen that way. Why?
-vs.14 So that you may believe.
-He is deepening the faith in these moments.

-vs. 35 Jesus wept with them.
-He will weep with me. He is deeply troubled also, He doesn't cut himself off from the situation. Even Him, the Son of God, who holds all the power, the keys to resurrection and salvation- even He took time out to cry. Why?
-He is a personal relational God who knows the deepest longing of our heart and in our hardest moments, he kneels beside me, wraps his arms around me and cries with me.

-He waited 4 days to show his power.
-vs.41 Father, thank you for hearing me. Let everyone around believe.
-In the difficult circumstances Jesus is deepening the faith of those around.

This story reveals God's heart:
1. Death and Sin evoke the anger of God.
2. Jesus weeps with us.
3. Turning points are part of our story - we want them to go away but God uses them to deepen our faith in a way that nothing else could.

But remember:
Even if there's no miracle afterwards, God's heart is still the same. He is here, weeping with me; and He's the one carrying me when I can't stand on my own.

God and Snow. What a Day!

God and Snow. What a great day.

Winter has arrived. Snow snow snow snow snow snow.
And I love the SNOW!

And I thank the Lord for keeping me safe on the roads today. I'm discovering my little car is not nearly as good at driving in snow as my parents van was!

And something really hit home with me at church this morning and I wanted to share it.


-We receive renewal by waiting for the Lord. Isaiah 40:30-31 Yes we know that verse but...
-To 'wait' is not just merely killing time, but living a life of CONFIDENT EXPECTATION before the Lord.

I love that.

James MacDonald: "I'm Not Giving Up"

So today I was listening to this amazing sermon by James MacDonald called "I'm Not Giving Up".

Its based on the first verse in Hebrews 12 - and this verse is very special to me. When I was kid, our family had these tapes we listened to in the car - GT and the Halo Express. And in these stories, there were Bible verses put to song. And Heb 12:1 was in my favourite tape on perseverance called Winning the Great Race of Faith-How to Overcome Adversity. I actually claimed this tape a few years ago when my family was moving and getting rid of some stuff. I still have it and would be listening to it right now if I could, but I don't have a tape player in my apartment.

Anyways so Heb 12:1 says: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us. (Well those are the words to the song, I don't know if that's the verse exactly word for word.)

This song and the other songs from the green Perseverance tape, I've had in my head my whole life. This was especially true back in university when I worked at an accounting firm that I absolutely hated. Every day on the drive to the office I would listen to this tape in my car. I would fast forward to each of the songs and sing them on the drive - giving me the push I needed to make it through another horrible day at that place. And no, I really am not ashamed to say I was listening to a children's tape. The message was what I needed. And what I need today.

Okay, so back to the James MacDonald sermon. I was listening away, taking some notes on the sermon, taking it all to heart. But then I realized it was over, and it was only half done - there's a second part to the sermon, and I cant find it ANYWHERE. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I've searched the internet and James' Walk in the Word website but I can't find it. Anyone happen to have it on their computer!?! Long shot I know, but doesn't hurt to ask.

I'll share with you the points in the sermon so far:

Why is it so hard to endure?
-people
-circumstances
-power (not depending on God's power)

I CAN endure because

1. my heroes are watching.
-the cloud of witnesses, people who have gone before me and remained faithful to the Lord, they want me to keep going - not to grow weary, not to give up. They want me to keep fighting, keep trying. My home team is cheering me on.

2. the weights are coming off.
-throw off the things that are weighing me down. This doesn't necessarily mean sin/things that are wrong, but simply things that are not helping me to persevere. Egs. watching TV (this isn't helping me focus on what is important) a relationship (don't become consumed with 1 person, its not wrong to care-its good to care, but don't let it consume you. Don't let your happiness depend on the other person.) financial goals, your dream to own a boat, etc
-this includes SIN also, things are nothing but weights weighing you down - unbelief, gossip, gluttony

3.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I don't know what the rest of the sermon says!!!
Someone please tell me!