Wow...........

Our Teens can Sing.

Can't wait for September 11th

What Ever Happened to Sin?

Have you noticed how sin has fallen out of favor even in Christian circles?
Its not that we don't talk about it, usually in relation to others who are doing it.
and its not that we don't think about it, cause many of us are filled with guilt.

What I don't see is us getting specific about it. In our own lives.
I realize that we live in a Big Brother world where even our entertainment is all about watching others sin, talking about others sin, dwelling on sins that have been committed on us by others.
But I wonder how many of us are dealing with OUR sin?

Specifically.

The Apostle John says in His book that if we walk in the light as Jesus is in the light we have fellowship, but.........

If I SAY I have fellowship with God, but Sin, "I" Lie. vs 6
If I SAY I have no Sin, "I" Lie to myself. vs 8
If I SAY I have not Sinned when His word says I have, I am saying that "Jesus" is a Liar.

Sin leads us from God
Sin makes us something God did not intend
Sin makes us bring reproach upon the name of Jesus.

There is only one way out of this sin problem.
Get Specific about my sins.

I must Confess My Sin. Not that I am a sinner, not that I have done something wrong. Confession means to recognize the wrong and be as offended by it as God is.

Because if I Confess My Sin I can be Cleansed of My Sin.

Let me describe it this way.
No one cleans their whole carpet for a spot.
Clean the Spot and the carpet looks clean.

Maybe we ought to stop ignoring the spots and accepting that the carpet is dirty and deal with the sin.

Maybe our prayer ought to be........
Psalm 51:7-10 (KJV) Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. ⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

We have only..............

When George Simmons passed away, He left some books from His library to the church. To me you can learn a lot about a man by what is on his book shelf. Whether it was a gift or if he read it, I will never know. But what intrigues me is a book he had called Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey. While its not one I would openly recommend, (not good nor bad) there are a few quotes in it that have touched me.

This one especially from Martin Luther King as he was speaking to Richard Daley, Chicago's Mayor at the time who was trying to stop King from Demonstrating in his town.

     "Let me say that if you are tired of demonstrations, I am tired of demonstrating. I am tired of the threat of death. I want to live. I don't want to be a martyr. And there are moments when I doubt that I am going to make it through. I am tired of getting hit, tired of being beaten, tired of going to jail. But the important thing is not how tired I am; the important thing is to get rid of the conditions that lead us to march.
     Now, gentlemen, you know we don't have much. We don't have much money. We don't really have much education, and we don't have political power. We only have our bodies and you are asking us to give up the one thing that we have when you say, "Don't March." (From Bearing the Cross)

Kings speech changed Mayor Daley's mind.

We have only our bodies

We as a Church don't have much money
We as a Church don't really have that much education
We as a Church don't have political power

We have only our bodies
But according to the word of God, that is enough.

Martin Luther King gave his body so that a people could be made free and almost 50 years later, they are.

What we do today for God may not be seen tomorrow, it may take 50 years, but if we don't do something, we are giving in to our fears.
Martin Luther King was a reluctant leader who changed the world. God is looking for men and women who even in reluctance, will give their bodies as living sacrifices to free those in chains from sin.

We have only our bodies, lets use them to Gods Glory, you might be amazed at whose mind you change.

A Letter from PRob to newLife

Do you know what I loved about Sunday?Singing Jesus Loves Me.

I enjoyed it. Why?

Though a Child's Song it was sung by people who Love that Jesus Loves them.
The room was full of them.
Even the Teens Sung Out. It was Awesome.

I loved Seeing People Loving Each Other.

Though a simple thought, there was no judgementalism in the room.
No one thinking they were better than anyone else.
No one believing they were more righteous than the others.
Just people from all walks of life, loving that Jesus Loved them and Loving each other.

and I loved Seeing People Soak in the word of God.

Not religiously nor piously but really soaking it in.
Wanting to Hear it
Wanting to Love it
Wanting to Apply it

I did not recognize anyone who was not into the word of God and what is most exciting is the kind of fruit that will come from it as people upgrade their lives from Me to You.

All in all a great day for the Church.
Can't Wait till we meed Again.

Have an Awesome Day

Pastor A

Do Things Rattle Around in YOUR Head?

Just something that's been going through my mind lately and I thought I would share it.
I have been watching Christians for quite a while now and there seems to be a season that many go through. Its the season of Low Expectations. Its the part of the Christian Journey in which we expect little from God.

Its as if there is a place in our minds where expectations sit.Like a little control center that operates the levers of interpretation and assumption that either unleash or choke our hopes and dreams.

When Low Expectations sits on that seat and pulls those levers, he is a little tyrant closing the valves of Vision, he dials down the voltage of hope, and cuts off the power of Action. Some are so entrenched in negative expectations that they have a hard time hearing the truth of God anymore.

Low expectations destroy the work of God through its hopeless view of the word of God.

But what happens when High expectations sits and pulls the levers of interpretation and assumption?

High Expectations Innovate.
High Expectations Persevere.
High Expectations Excite.

They open up the Valves of Vision, dial up the Voltage of Hope, and Empowers Action.

High Expectations Believe the Word of God and live it out to its Fullest

Jesus Himself said, "ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME, GO....."

Could you imagine a church filled with people who believed this and lived out the gospel with High Expectations?

I can and do, and if your a part of newLife Baptist Church, so do you.

Maybe this will stop the rattling.

A Letter from PRob to newLife

I don't know what you thought, but I loved Sunday.
There was just a Great Spirit in Church.

Maybe it was Chris and Alexis - All they do is Smile
Maybe it was the Coffee Lady - Susan is such a great person
Maybe it was Bob and Carin - Boy can He play that Piano
Maybe it was Nathanial - He is funny without trying

and while these things were great Sunday, they were just a bigger part of something greater.

What made Sunday so wonderful was the freedom we have in Christ.
Oh I know that there are still Sinners whose shame hinders them,
Pharisee's whose religion binds them, some trying to recover
and those who don't feel worthy, feel like failures, and some want to quit.

But for the most part, we understand that in Christ we are free.
and if that doesn't uplift your spirit, your probably dead.

I will be gone this week in Bend and so Thursday we will be having Life Groups meet but I already can't wait until Sunday.
I am praying for someone to bring to experience Jesus with, will you?