if you have the time, this is a very interesting 15 minutes.

it’s interesting for a few reasons:

number one – it’s good to just hear people talking about God and what He’s doing in their lives and then to think about those things in my own life.

number two – it’s interesting to see 3 personalities, or, 3 styles of communication demonstrated by these guys. quite honestly, i was pretty surprised with some of the interaction.

number three – it’s interesting to evaluate how different leaders have a different focus of ministry and methodology. in one i see grace and humility. in another i see assumption but some openness. in the third i see…less grace and more tones of superiority. at least in this conversation.

what did you see?

ht//mr. belmont

as we face the modern world with all its trouble and turmoil and with all it difficulties and sadness, nothing is more important than that we who call ourselves Christian, and who claim the Name of Christ, should be representing our faith in such a way before others, as to give them the impression that
here is the solution, and here is the answer.”

{ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones }

it’s tuesday.

do you know about positive post tuesday?

pastor greg laurie has been posting these short, devotional videos recently which help focus our thoughts on God and to remember all that He has done for us.

this video is entitled Why Should I Give Thanks To God?

it’s a fair question and deserves a thoughtful, Biblical answer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWZ9hHGvrfM[/youtube]

today i hope you discover a little more of how much God loves you and all that He desires to do in and through your life here on the earth.

it’s tuesday. be positive!

blessings.

+

Then the Lord spoke to my heart.
He simply said, ‘Who are you serving?’
I said, ‘I am serving You, Lord.’
And He replied, ‘Then quit your griping.’

So don’t serve with a bitter heart.
Don’t serve with resentment.
As the Scriptures tell us:
Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
(Colossians 3.17)

There’s no more important attitude to have in the ministry.
We need to serve as unto the Lord because we’re going to find people obnoxious.
We’re going to find them unthankful.
We’re going to find that they’re demanding and that many times they’re
miserable to be around.

So if you think, ‘I’ve got to serve them,’ it will get to you.
But if you think, ‘I’m serving the Lord,’ then you’ll be able to handle it.
Whatever our service, we must do it as unto the Lord, knowing that
from the Lord, you will receive your reward.

Don’t look for the applause of men.
Don’t look for people to say, ‘Oh thank you. Oh you mean so much to me.’
For so often it won’t come.

You need to keep the mental attitude of doing everything as unto the Lord,
knowing that of the Lord, you will receive your reward.

Chuck Smith • Calvary Chapel Distinctives

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM0oBuhTLRI[/youtube]

if you’re in college ministry, get involved in this!

visit livingwaters.com

churches have lots of different goals.

some churches focus more on evangelism while another might focus on missions.

churches also have a lot of different ways of reaching those goals, be they specific or idealogical.

churches have different styles.

some churches wear loafers and some wear chucks.

these are all good things.

because if 2 churches are exactly the same…the same ideology and methodology, the same style and format, the same when and how, then they should just merge together to better impact this world for the Gospel, which is our common goal.

when we look around, we find a wide variety of churches, each with their own goals and methods and styles and feels.

God is a God of variety, so it makes sense that His people will be a people of variety.

these are all good things.

i know that there are a couple different churches represented in the regular readership of this little blog. so, my question to you is this:

what is one thing you LOVE that your church does?

i’m not really looking for things like, “my church is friendly and makes me feel welcome,” or, “my church is casual and that makes me feel relaxed.”

those are good things, but i’d like us to pause and think about the different methods/styles/ministries/goals of our churches and share them, both to praise the Lord for His power and faithfulness, and also just to share.

because sharing is caring.

so there it is: what is one thing that your church does that you love?

lay it on me…

it’s tuesday.

do you know about positive post tuesday?

if i’m honest, i think sometimes positivity is only possible when things are good. i act like it is a condition of my current situation.

it’s as if i’ve convinced myself that i can be positive (loving, gracious, compassionate) only if my circumstances are beneficial to me in some way.

when we look into the Bible we find that Christians are never promised that things will always be good. in fact, we’re promised much the opposite; that suffering and struggle and persecution and hurt are coming our way.

today people are struggling all over the place, be they Christian or not.

and still, we know that we can be positive because of who we serve…the God of Love.

i was reminded of this fact today when i saw this little video in my reader from pastor greg laurie.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UHEww_GqXw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

i’m excited about the work God wants to do around the world today and i’m even more excited that He wants me to be a little part of it.

it’s tuesday. be positive.

+

we have a little joke that a few of us have been kicking around @calvaryhanford recently:

“my liberty, your problem.”

while the doctrine of Christian liberty is a real topic and a real balance that each child of God has to work out with their Father, for the 21st century american Church the topic of liberty is no longer individual and private unto the Lord, but open, bold and broadcast for all the world to witness.

it is interesting to us when we notice how, not only do some Christians seem to be demanding and defending liberties that have not been historically seen as permissible for God’s people, but more importantly, they are actively evangelizing for their liberties, while ignoring the ill effects that some of them have on other Christians and those outside the family of God.

there seems to be a strong current in the Church today that the more mature you are as a Believer, the more ‘liberties’ you have to indulge in habits, substances, attitudes and activities that are usually not associated with holy living.

…mostly because the idea of ‘holy living’ has been all but forgotten in our current Christian culture.

and where our little joke comes in is when we see Christians, with their liberties (whether real or self-proclaimed) who not only seem unbothered by the stumbling block that they put in front of other people when they openly practice and endorse the habits and choices in question, but in fact scold and mock those other people for BEING stumbled!

my liberty. your problem.

we don’t seem to recognize (or maybe just acknowledge) that our endorsement and participation in certain behaviors might stumble the people around us in serious ways.

the apostle paul talked about those sorts of situations in his epistles.

now, liberty is real. stumbling is real. we have to find a balance and live our lives in the way that the Lord directs us. i understand that there are things that stumble others that folks really have been given a green light on from Jesus.

but that’s not where our joke comes in.

our joke comes in when we see Christians broadcasting these habits and indulgences and substances and activities and then failing to admit that it might adversely impact other Christians.

and, often these days, when you attempt to call a person on that issue, you are mocked and derided for daring to intrude into their private life (after it spilled onto twitter or facebook or face-to-face interaction)!

so here’s the thing…it seems like many of us in the american church have made a statue idol to liberty. it seems like we’re looking more and more like our unbelieving friends and neighbors. it seems like all the things they do, we do. all the places they go, we go. all the words they use, we use.

so the question is this: what does separation from the world mean to you and is it necessary today?

maranatha