Sunday, March 31, 2013

Resurrection Sunday 2013 at NRN




As we gather for worship on this Resurrection Sunday at NRN we plan to sing the following songs to our Risen Lord:









I will draw us to prayer and then share some announcements about our growing and developing ministry.  Then the Worship Team will "kick it up" with a time of celebration:






Now we look to God's Word for today's message. 

 
The validity of our faith is not hat Jesus was a good person, or a great teacher – or that he died on a cross.  Jesus on the cross reveals the deep love and passion of Jesus – the Resurrection of Jesus reveals His power!   On the cross, Jesus was emptied of His glory and took upon him all our sins – and the empty tomb reveals the power to change everything! The validity of our faith is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ – who overcame death and the grave. He who promises us eternal life – proved it is possible by overcoming death and the grave to live again!
 
 


As we conclude our worship with our offerings of finances, we also offer ourselves to God and rejoice in the Resurrection Power of Jesus Christ!




Friday, March 29, 2013

Good Friday 2013 worship set


 
This evening at 7:00 we will gather in the Worship Center for our annual Good Friday worship.      Here is the worship set planned for this evening:



















It was for your sins and mine that Jesus went to the Cross. It was for you and me that He endured the suffering and shame. We call this day Good Friday; it is good only because of the goodness of God that gave us Jesus to die for our sins. It is not a day for joyous celebrations. It is a day of shadows. It is a day to remember. It is a day to reflect on the price that was paid.  One of the finest pictures of the goodness of this day is provided through the seven last phrases of Jesus.  We refer to this as…     THE SEVEN LAST WORDS:

Thursday, March 28, 2013

A Holy Week reflection - Thursday

As I prepare for our Good Friday worship tomorrow evening at 7:00pm I am moved when I think of Jesus.  His love; His grace; His sacrifice to become sin for me to take away my sin and paying the debt of my sins - IN FULL!

As you prepare for worship this weekend - how do you see Jesus? 

Consider this:

 
I hope to see you tomorrow night and especially on Sunday morning.  I also look forward to meeting your guest for the day!  PR

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Reflections during Holy Week - Wednesday


Today I reflect on why I preach with passion each Sunday.  I reflect on the importance of why we should invite people to church.  I reflect upon the assurance God has given to me to extend an invitation for salvation this coming Sunday.  Here is a most compelling clip.

As you watch this clip - please be sure you watch it through to the end. Get ready for the goose - bumps to appear on your arm - after your heart stars beating again:







Think about joining us is prayer this evening at 6:30pm......

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

A Holy Week Reflection - Tuesday

Since Sunday I have been in prayer and study to prepare for several special events during this week - known as Holy Week.  The week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is always a special time to devote yourself to spiritual emphasis to prepare for Resurrection Sunday!   At NRN we have a number of opportunities to go deeper with God this week.

First - We will gather on Wednesday evening - March 27th  - at 6:30pm to continue the spirit of the 24 hour Prayer vigil we recently concluded.  We will consider many prayer request and devote ourselves to one hour of prayer. Join us for Corporate Prayer.

Next - We will gather on Friday evening - March 29th - at 7:00pm for our annual Good Friday Worship.  This year is a little different from previous years.  We plan to begin our time in worship by singing several songs about the Cross of Christ.  Then I will bring the final message in the Lenten teaching series - Revealed in Red. We will end the time with prayer and communion.

Saturday - March 30 we gather at 9:00am to prepare for our annual community outreach event at Easter.  The HUGE EASTER EGG HUNT will be underway at 10:00am with hundreds of children receiving plastic eggs filled with candy and the gospel message.  This year should provide an awesome event for all who attend. 

SUNDAY - MARCH 31 - IS EASTER SUNDAY.  We will begin our Resurrection Sunday worship at 10:30am by singing several familiar hymns of faith for Easter.  We will receive new members in a public welcome and then the worship team will lead us in some new songs of worship that will move your spirit.   I will bring a message about how the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Changes Everything!
I am praying and trusting that many invitations will be accepted and new families will join us for an awesome day!

Every day until then I will be posting some of my thoughts about the importance of being in church on Easter Sunday.  Check back this week for some unique perspective on the this topic.

Here is my first posting.  My wife Sharron received this from Dr. Page Wages and I immediately felt it was perfect to share today.  Enjoy!



Sunday, March 24, 2013

Reflection from my message today at NRN

In reflection of my message this morning at NRN I wanted to share two of my favorite songs about the words of Jesus: IT IS FINISHED.  This should  also show my variety in musical taste.  I am always much more aware of the words and message of a song. 


First - the Gaither Vocal Band:




And now - my favorite Christian group of all time - PETRA







Saturday, March 23, 2013

Preparing for Worship on Palm Sunday March 24 2013


Today our 24 hour  Prayer Vigil continues at NRN.  Last evening at 6:00pm I spend over an hour in prayer as I sat alone in the worship center.  Each prayer request card on the altar has been read and prayed for.  Within an hour of the beginning of the Prayer Vigil others joined me in the worship center to pray.  Prayer is being lifted to the Lord each hour for 24 hours.  This weekend NRN is more than a group of people who pray - we are now a praying church!  If you are in the area - come join us today.  We begin the last hour of the prayer vigil at 5:00pm. 

I anticipate a great moving of the Holy Spirit upon our worship tomorrow at NRN following 24 hours of prayer.  Our planned order of worship is as follows:

A scriptural welcome and call to worship - then we offer our worship unto the Lord in song.






We will pause to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord.  I am also asking the Lord if anyone will break forth in testimony and praise for the 24 hours in prayer.....




Following the time of announcements and preparing to present our financial offerings to the Lord - the worship team will sing a powerful song of God's love and sacrifice:




I will continue in the Lenten teaching series.  Here is the roll in clip for my message:

 
 
At the close of my message - we will sing together a closing song:
 
 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Now is the time to shake Heaven and Hell through the power of prayer!


Now is the time to shake heaven and hell because we believe in the power of praying together:




Charles Finney is a name known to everyone who has studied the mighty movements of God in country. A former lawyer turned preacher by the call of God, Charles Finney was one of the key figures during the Second Great Awakening in 19th-century America, which touched virtually every aspect of life in this country. Finney is sometimes called "America's foremost revivalist," and there's no doubt that God had His hand on him. In the seven years in which Finney was an evangelist, there were an estimated 500,000 conversions. His ministry in Rochester, New York from 1830-1831 has been called the greatest year of spiritual awakening in American history. (Adapted from "The Persuaded Life.)

Someone did a follow-up study of those reportedly converted under Finney's preaching, and found that, years later, 80% of those who made professions of faith gave evidence of true life change. (Statistic cited in website "Daniel Nash: Prevailing Prince of Prayer")

What is more, there were immediate effects felt in the social structures of entire cities and townships. By every standard we know, that is extraordinary. How do you account for the effectiveness that visited this man and his ministry? To what can we attribute the amazing harvest God accomplished from his preaching?

If you asked Charles Finney, he would point to one man who partnered with him in his crusades. Daniel Nash joined himself to Finney for the purpose of prayer. When Finney was invited to speak in a city, Nash would arrive three or four weeks early, rent a room, find a small group of like-minded Christians to join him, and start a prayer meeting to plead with God for souls. Once the public meetings began, Nash usually did not attend. He and his group would stay hidden away, agonizing in prayer for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to melt the crowd.

On one occasion, Finney himself noted in his journal that when he arrived in a particular town for a revival, he was met by a lady who ran a boarding house. "Brother Finney," she asked, "do you know Mr. Nash? He and two other men have been at my boarding house for the last three days, but they haven't eaten a bite of food. I opened the door and peeped in at them because I could hear them groaning and I saw them down on their faces. They have been this way for three days, lying prostrate on the floor and groaning. I thought something awful must have happened to them. I was afraid to go in and I didn't know what to do. Would you please come and see about them?" And Charles Finney replied, "No, it isn't necessary. They just have a spirit of travail in prayer." (again Daniel Nash; see also Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, p. 175-176.)

Finney and Nash traveled thousands of miles together, in prayer and proclamation of the Gospel. Then in the winter of 1831, Nash took ill. On December 20 of that year, while he was on his knees in prayer, he died at age 56. Charles Finney said this of his dear friend and partner in ministry: "Said a good man to me: 'Oh, I am dying for the want of strength to pray! My body is crushed, the world is on me, and how can I forbear praying?' I have known that man go to bed absolutely sick, for weakness and faintness, under the pressure. And I have known him to pray as if he would do violence to Heaven, and then have seen the blessing come as plainly in answer to his prayer as if it were revealed, so that no person could doubt it any more than if God had spoken from heaven.

"Shall I tell you how he died? He prayed more and more; he used to take the map of the world before him, and pray, and look over the different countries and pray for them, till he expired in his room, praying. Blessed man! He was the reproach of the ungodly, and of carnal, unbelieving professors; but he was the favorite of Heaven, and a prevailing prince of prayer."

Today, there is a marker on a neglected grave in a cemetery near the Canadian border that reads, "Daniel Nash, Pastor, Laborer with Finney, Mighty in Prayer." He never had the limelight, the stage, or the accolades. But he shook heaven and hell because he believed in the power of praying together.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A call to prayer - prepare for a movement of God!


It is not too late to register for this 24 hour Prayer Vigil this coming Friday and Saturday at NRN.

This evening at 6:30pm several people will join me as we gather for prayer.  We have collected well over 150 prayer request that we will bring before the Lord.

I invite you to join us for prayer at NRN.  Whether you currently attend or have once attended - you are invited to our worship center to prayer.  We begin on Friday at 6:00pm and continue non-stop in 24 hours of prayer.  I plan to pray with people for the physical, emotional and spiritual healing during the last hour of prayer which begins Saturday at 5:00pm. 

You are also invited to bring your prayer request and place them upon the altars at the church.

I am trusting God for a moving of His Spirit through our church and ministry.

There are so many examples of how corporate prayer was the springboard for the sweeping movements of God. Let me mention a few. In 1857, America was riding the wave of a strong economy, and, as tends to be true in times of prosperity, showed a radical decrease of interest in the things of God. There was a layman named Jeremiah Lamphier whose concern led to a call for prayer. He tacked up notices in NYC calling for a weekly prayer meeting on Wednesdays from noon till one at a rented space on Fulton Street.

The first prayer meeting was on September 23, 1857. Only six people came, and they didn't arrive until just before 12:30. The next week, the attendance jumped to 20. The numbers continued to climb week-by-week.

Then, on October 10th, the Stock Market crashed and financial panic ensued. Trouble had its humbling affect and the hearts of many turned to spiritual matters. It wasn't long until somewhere between 10 and 50,000 businessmen were meeting every day in NYC to pray at noon. By week 15, the meetings moved from weekly to daily.

In 1858, this prayer movement leaped to every major city in America. The Second Great Awakening swept our land. Estimates are that a million Americans out of a population of 30 million at that time were converted in less than two years. And it all started with prayer.

Rees Howells, a Welsh coal miner, journeyed to South Africa as a missionary in 1910 in response to an increasing burden from the Lord. Six weeks after arriving, he joined in a prayer meeting. Out of that came the sweeping work of the Holy Spirit in which they had two revival meetings a day for fifteen months and all day on Friday. Thousands were converted as a result.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

On the Cross - Jesus became sin for me and you

Another reflection from my message from this past Sunday at NRN: 

 
 
Charles Spurgeon puts it like this in

Morning & Evening, Daily Reading


(Christian Focus Publications, 1994):  “Christ has paid the debt of his
people to the last jot and tittle, and received the divine receipt; and

unless God can be so unjust as to demand double payment for one

debt, no soul for whom Jesus died as a substitute can ever be cast into

hell…. If God is just, I, a sinner, alone and without a substitute, must be

punished; but Jesus stands in my place and is punished for me; and

now, if God is just, I, a sinner, standing in Christ, can never be punished.

God must change his nature before one soul for whom Jesus was a

substitute can ever by any possibility suffer the lash of the law.

Therefore, Jesus having taken the place of the believer—having

rendered a full equivalent to divine wrath for all that his people ought

to have suffered as the result of sin, the believer can shout with glorious

triumph, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” Not

God, for he has justified; not Christ, for he has died, “yes rather has

risen again.” My hope does not live because I am not a sinner, but

because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am

holy, but that being unholy, he is my righteousness. My faith does not

rest upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is,

in what he has done, and in what he is now doing for me.”

Monday, March 18, 2013

A reflection of my message last Sunday at NRN

Today at NRN I shared a message about how Jesus took our sin and shame upon Himself and nailed it to the cross that we might be saved and clothed in righteousness. People have commented on the clip I used as a testimony of Phil Robertson - aka The Duck Commander.  Here is another clip that shares the importance of living our life with Christ in control.






 

Sunday, March 17, 2013

St. Patrick's Day - Bet you didn't know

Since today is St. Patrick's Day I thought I would share a simple clip with you.

 
 
Check back tomorrow for a follow up of my message today at NRN

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Preparing for worship on March 17 2013

As I prepare for Sunday at NRN my heart is ready for an awesome time of worship and I pray for the anointing of God upon the words I plan to speak.   Here is the order of worship planned for tomorrow:

We begin with a welcome and opening prayer and then lift our voices in worship and adoration of God.










We will continue in worship with prayer and I will encourage everyone to join us for the annual Prayer Vigil at NRN.


 

 
 
Then I will present the message God has given to me in our current teaching series.
 
 
 
Following our worship, we will conduct our annual church elections:
 
 

Friday, March 15, 2013

An example of true sportsmanship

With March Madness underway in the NCAA basketball season - I thought today would be a good time to share about sportsmanship.  I look forward to seeing some amazing basketball over the next two weeks - but this post shares the meaning of true sportsmanship:

Mitchell Marcus, a special needs student at Coronado High School, was given a chance to play in a varsity basketball game by Coach Morales, and not only did he get to play, but an act of good sportsmanship was showed that night by Jonathan Montanez and the Franklin Basketball Team.  Mitchell Marcus was able to live out a dream! 




There is usually a little more to the story:


Thursday, March 14, 2013

What makes Phil Robertson Happy, Happy, Happy!

I recently saw several postings on facebook about a recent interview with Phil Robertson.

Here is the text of the interview:

I'm currently 66 years old. That's how long I've been on planet Earth. When I was 28, I was sort of into "sex, drugs, and rock and roll," as they say. Some guy with a Bible came into a beer joint that I was running and he wanted to talk it over. I basically ran him out of the place. My sister is the one that brought him and while he was in the back trying to get a Bible study going with the old guy here, yours truly, she's in the front handing out Bible tracts. That created a little bit of a ruckus in the beer joint.


I had to go out there and tell everybody, "Look, the girl wants to hand out Bible tracts. Take them, throw them into the trash can, do whatever you want, but don't be messing with my sister here. I'll break your legs." So, I ran the guy off. But later on I looked him back up as my life was pretty much going south in a hurry.



So at 28, I finally sit down and listened for the first time in my life to the story about Jesus of Galilee, the one we're all counting time by. It is currently 2,013 years since Jesus got here. 2013 A.D. Anno Domini. So we're all counting time by Jesus. I just decided to follow him 38 years ago when I heard that He, in fact, was God in flesh. Not only was He God in flesh, it took the blood of God to remove my "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" lifestyle — sin.

Well, I'm sitting there listening and I'm like, "Man, that was a mighty kind thing to do for a scumbag like me." Not only that, it wouldn't do me any good, though, if something could not be done about the six-foot hole I'm going into (and you too, by the way).

So we're all sinners, Jesus dies on a cross to remove all of them, so you can go, "I'm guilty no longer. The price has been paid." God coming down in flesh did that. It's actually too wild a story to dream up by human beings, especially sinful ones. Three days later he guarantees me not only did He have the power to remove my sin, but He had the power to energize dead cold flesh so it can stand back up on the earth again.

Because of what Jesus has done, his death on a cross and his resurrection, He's guaranteed you that you will live. So, as Jesus would put it, "Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die."
If you're not a believer and you don't believe God exists at all, about the only hope you have is He not be there. That's your hope: "Maybe He's not there." What we're saying is: "We trust that He is."


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Power of Prayer


Prayer is essential in the life of a believer. One definition of prayer is as being personal communication with our Almighty Creator. Since God is relational, communication with him needs to be present in order to fully embrace Christianity at its finest.

 There exist multiple kinds of prayer, ranging from thanking and loving God to praying for others. Christians need to understand the different types of prayer and the importance of each because it stimulates a growing trust in God, and therefore makes the individual a stronger Christian.

Don't make excuses
Many times, the lifestyle and habits for Christians today can be a hindrance towards prayer. Unfortunately, laziness is a major reason believers in Christ put off praying. Scores of Christians cannot seem to realize that prayer actually does not require a big deal of energy. Just the thought of taking time out to pray must seem like a hassle to many.

Another hindrance is just the fact of not having a set time to pray . Although it is not 100% necessary to do this, creating a schedule will greatly increase the chances of remembering to pray. Not creating a schedule goes hand in hand with time constraints. A large amount of people nowadays cannot find the time to pray, but when those people do find time, they are too tired or not in the mood. Prayer can be done anywhere at any time, and should be done in order to please God.

God delights in prayer and wants us to pray to Him relentlessly. God desires for Christians to pray because it helps to build up the believers trust in Him. Once the trust is developed, reliance will shift from self to God. Further communicating with God will make the believer closer with Him.

The true meaning of Christianity, having a relationship with God, is what the praying Christian will experience. Lastly, it allows Christians to give all the glory to Him. God created everything out of nothing, and He deserves nothing less than everything from Christians.

Five types of prayer:

Prayer of Adoration
Of the five different types of prayer, the prayer of adoration is probably the most important. The prayer of adoration is saying to God, “God, I love you”. Christianity is based on faith, and without faith it is impossible to develop a relationship with Him. Developing that trust and faith in God is the key ingredient to living a full Christian life. Not only is it important to tell God of the love for Him, but it is also important to thank Him.

Prayer of Thankfulness
Thanking God is next in line of importance when praying. When asked to think of everything that a person is thankful for, not many things come to mind. We can never thank God for too many things. God never gets tired of getting thanked. Often the phrase, “count your blessings” is used to describe the inability to know them all. When thanking God, Christians need to remember to thank Him not only for the good things, but the trials and hardships.

 God puts hard times in Christian’s lives in order to better their relationship with Him, and in doing so make them stronger individuals. But in the end, it is the individual’s choice whether or not to turn the trial into a positive step towards God or a backwards leap away from Him.

Prayer of confession
The prayer of confession is also important in order to straighten out issues and to begin the healing process in relationships. Some of the three hardest words to say are,”I am sorry”. When two people are in a quarrel, the fight is almost never resolved until one party admits their apologies and says the three words above.

 The ability to throw away pride and admit the three words above can and will lead to better relationships with everyone. God is the exact same with prayer. Christians should repent for everything that is clearly not allowed by God’s law. Doing so will lead to a much better relationship with God and a much better conscience. But the important thing to remember is that the focus is on asking forgiveness from God and not fixating on the sins only.

Prayer of Intercession
The prayer of intercession is one that most Christians forget about because intercession is praying for other people. Most people tend to not think of other people. Christians consume much of their time with things for themselves. This is the time when Christians would ask God to help or intervene in the lives of other people.

When praying this prayer, one must be aware about the situation of the people, and the must pray in accordance with God’s will. Another addition that goes along with the prayer of intercession is to forgive others. If Christians do not forgive others transgressions, then the relationship with God will be interrupted and halted. Not forgiving others trespasses is just going to be s stumbling block, even though it may not seem like it.

 Prayer of Petition
The fifth type of prayer is the prayer of petition. The prayer of petition is what many Christians believe prayer is for. The prayer of petition is the prayer where Christian’s ask God for needs and wants. Although this is necessary, the way each want is put must be phrased correctly. For example, instead of asking for the memorizing of a poem to magically happen, the situation should be handled differently. Rather, the Christian student should ask for the wisdom of God to fully embrace them so that the memorization might come much easier. With God everything is much easier.

 There's more than one way to do it  Not only are their different types of pray, but there are different ways to pray. A very important thing to remember is to pray according to the will of God. Although it is difficult sometimes to determine what the will of God is, the Bible can always give us a clue to what it might be. For something that is clearly stated in the Commandments, it is easy to follow. But for things that are not explicitly explained in the Bible, it is a little harder to determine the will of God.

The best way to approach this is to read the Bible to figure out the best solution. Without having at least a general understanding of God’s Word, it is very difficult to determine the will of God. Whenever praying, think about the word usage. Paying attention to the word usage will really affect how Christians pray. If Christians paid that much attention to their prayers and how the words are articulated, the better the relationship with Christ will be, and the better Christians they will be.

Praying is definitely vital in every Christian’s life. Without prayer, a Christian’s life will become dry and ineffective. Once everyone realizes this truth, the world might undergo a serious revival. Prayer is communicating with God, and because God is a relational God, prayer is possibly the most important thing for becoming and remaining a Christian

 Tonight we gather at 6:30pm for a time of corporate prayer at NRN.  We will pray the prayer of intercession on behalf of the prayer request placed on the altar this past Sunday. 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Lord I give you my heart

This is a song will be be singing this coming Sunday at NRN.

 



VERSE:
This is my desire, to honor You
Lord, with all my heart, I worship You
All I have within me, I give You praise
All that I adore, Is in You

CHORUS:
Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Lord, have Your ways in me

VERSE:
This is my desire, to honor You
Lord, with all my heart, I worship You
All I have within me, I give You praise
All that I adore, Is in You

CHORUS:
Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Lord, have Your ways in me

CHORUS:
Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Lord, have Your ways in me

BRIDGE:
And I will live,
And I will live for You

CHORUS:
Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Lord, have Your ways in me

Monday, March 11, 2013

That's My King - extended version

As requested:  This is an extended version of what I shared last Sunday as the close of my message:



Dr. S. M. Lockridge

Shadrach Meshach Lockridge was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation in San Diego, California, from 1953 to 1993. He was known for his preaching across the United States and around the world




Here is the text:     

       That’s My King! by the late Dr. S. M. Lockridge

My King was born King.
The Bible says He’s a Seven Way King.

He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King.
He’s the King of Israel – that’s a National King.

He’s the King of righteousness.
He’s the King of the ages.

He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of glory.

He’s the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that’s my King. Well I wonder if you know Him.

Do you know Him? Don’t try to mislead me.

Do you know my King?
David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament show His handiwork.

My King is the only one whom there are no means of measure can define His limitless love.
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore of supplies.

No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

 Well, well, He’s enduringly strong.
He’s entirely sincere.

He’s eternally steadfast.
He’s immortally graceful.

He’s imperially powerful.
He’s impartially merciful.

That’s my King.

 He’s God’s Son.
He’s the sinner’s Savior.

He’s the centerpiece of civilization.
He stands alone in Himself.

He’s honest.
He’s unique.

He’s unparalleled.
He’s unprecedented.

He’s supreme.
He’s pre-eminent.

 
Well, He’s the loftiest idea in literature.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy.

He’s the supreme problem in high criticism.
He’s the fundamental doctrine of proved theology.

He’s the carnal necessity of spiritual religion.
That’s my King.

 
He’s the miracle of the age.

He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
Well, He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.

He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.

He sympathizes and He saves.
He’s strong God and He guides.

He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.

He forgives sinners.
He discharged debtors.

He delivers the captives.

He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.

He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.

He rewards the diligent and
He beautifies the meek.

Do you know Him?

 Well, my King is the key of knowledge.
He’s the wellspring of wisdom.

He’s the doorway of deliverance.
He’s the pathway of peace.

He’s the roadway of righteousness.
He’s the highway of holiness.

He’s the gateway of glory.
He’s the master of the mighty.

He’s the captain of the conquerors.

He’s the head of the heroes.
He’s the leader of the legislatures.

He’s the overseer of the overcomers.
He’s the governor of governors.

He’s the prince of princes.
He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords.

That’s my King. Yeah. Yeah. That’s my King. My King, yeah.

 His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.

His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.

His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.

His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.

His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

 

Well. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable.
He’s indescribable. Yes.

He’s incomprehensible.

He’s invincible.

He’s irresistible.

I’m coming to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain
Him.

You can’t get Him out of your mind.

You can’t get Him off of your hands.
You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him.

 Well, Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.

The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.

Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him.

That’s my King. Yeah.
He always has been and He always will be.

I’m talking about He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor.

There was nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him.

You cant impeach Him and He’s not going to resign.

That’s my King! That’s my King!

 Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.

Well, all the power belongs to my King.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

A response to my message today at NRN

A response to my message today at NRN:




It’s no wonder people were shocked by what He claimed. They knew who Jesus was. He had grown up in their neighborhood. He may have even played with their children. He had flesh and blood just like them. How could He say He was God?

But it wasn’t just His words that surprised people. Jesus not only claimed the amazing, but He did the amazing. At His command, violent seas went still, the sick were healed, the dead came to life. While many denied His claims, no one could deny His power over nature, sickness, death, and the supernatural.


Consider this:



Saturday, March 9, 2013

Preparing for worship at NRN ~ March 10 2013

This morning I am at the church work day at NRN.... come and join us if you can!

 
 


As I prepare for tomorrow at NRN I must admit that I have struggled with my message for this week.  I have so much to share as God has spoken to me through His Word.  I pray God will enable me to communicate the message that He has placed in my heart.

Here is the order of worship we have prepared for tomorrow:






We will pause for a season of prayer as we bring our prayer cards forward to the altar to begin our season of prayer leading to the annual Prayer Vigil to be held Friday March 22 and Saturday March 23.  We will pray over the cards and request for a period of 24 hours during the Prayer Vigil.





I will continue in the current teaching series:



ONE IMPORTANT REMINDER:
 
 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Many hands make light work - Church work day this Saturday

Church family of NRN
 
Join us on Saturday March 9th
beginning at 8:30am
 
 
Come and join us!
 
 
There's lots to be done and we need your help!
 
 

 
 
We will never complete the task unless we work together.


 








I don't know how many other ways I can say it...
 
 


 
 

Monday, March 4, 2013

The Seven I AM statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John


Last Sunday I presented the first message in the New Teaching Series: Revealed in Red.  In this series we are going to look at a few of the events that occurred in the last few hours of Jesus' journey to the cross, and while He hung on the cross. We will examine the last words of Jesus - words printed in red. The first words of Jesus we examined was  "I am He" - words that He said in the garden when the soldiers came for Him. The Gospel of John contains seven I Am statements that Jesus made about Himself to reveal his true identity.
From the stone cold, dead & empty way of man’s religion into a living and joyful relationship (1), we are saved by grace through faith (2), not by our own futile works (3), into his supernatural care and provision (4). With our eyes on Him not the world we achieve the supernatural (5), receive the wisdom of the Holy Spirit (6), and are restored from Death to Life (7).

Now let’s look at the seven “I am” statements to see what they’ll tell us.

1. The Bread Of Life
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.                            (John 6:35)

The context was the Manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:13-18). By this statement we know it was meant to be a model of the Messiah. Whoever partakes of Him will never again know spiritual hunger. Like the manna of Exodus 16 every one who seeks Him will find Him (Matt. 7:7-8), but each of us has to find Him for ourselves. No one can receive Him for us, nor can we receive Him for anyone else. We all get an amount sufficient for our salvation. No one is lacking, none of Him is wasted.
As for our thirst, remember how Jesus told the woman at the well that the water He offered would cure her thirst forever. Pointing to Jacob’s well, before which they were standing, He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”                                                                                                          (John 4:13-14)
And then on the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.                        (John 7:37-39)

The Psalmist wrote, As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. (Psalm 42:1) In Jesus our spiritual hunger is satisfied and our spiritual thirst is quenched. Once we have the Holy Spirit, our search for spiritual fulfillment comes to an end, and we never need any other sustenance. The God shaped hole in our heart is finally filled.

2. The Light Of The World
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Literally this means that those who join Jesus as one of His disciples will not be ignorant of spiritual matters but will have the power of understanding especially of the spiritual truth that brings eternal life. When we take the time to learn and apply these truths in faith we discover that the old adage is true. Whatever the spiritual question, Jesus is the answer.
Are you feeling down trodden or discouraged? Overcome by the worries of life?

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-7, 19).
Do you carry a burden of guilt because of your sins?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
Do you have money problems?

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38). “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 9:11)
Or health problems?

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:14-16).

I’ll say it again. Whatever the spiritual question, Jesus is the answer.

3. The Gate
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)

This is a reference to the Kingdom and recalls the words of the 23rd Psalm, “He makes me lie down in green pasture.” Salvation is found through Jesus, He is the gate to the Kingdom. Having entered through Him we will have the freedom to come and go as we please, dwelling in a state of peace in the midst of plenty. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

4. The Good Shepherd
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

No one expects sheep to be responsible for themselves. Owners hire shepherds for that purpose. A Shepherd’s job is to accept responsibility for the safety and well being of his flock. Most shepherds only take that to the point where it would threaten their personal safety, rightly deciding that their life is worth more than that of a sheep. A few would be willing to risk their lives to protect their sheep, but our Shepherd knowingly and willingly died to save us, because there was no other way.

5. The Resurrection and The Life
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

This is an amazing statement. The Lord had already said that whoever believes in Him would not perish but would have eternal life. (John 3:16) Here he provided more detail, saying that even though a believer experiences physical death, he will still have life. He was referring to the resurrection of those who die in faith. And then He said there would be some would never die, but would pass from this life directly into the next one. If we didn’t already know about the rapture, we wouldn’t see this, but since we do we can understand that He was talking about that one generation who will be alive when He comes for the Church, and will receive eternal life without dying first. And once again the Lord confirmed that the single qualification for eternal life is to believe that His death paid the entire price for our sins.

6. The Way, The Truth, And The Life
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

There is no other way into the presence of God than by accepting the Lord’s death as payment in full for our sins. As Peter said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Jesus is the only remedy God has provided for man’s sin problem. He is the only way to eternal life. This is the truth of God’s Word.

7. The Vine
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

It’s important to understand that salvation is not a fruit bearing event, so in this statement Jesus was talking about our life after we’re saved. Of course a non-believer cannot bear fruit, and even after we receive salvation believers are not automatically fruitful. But if we yield our life to Him, (Romans 12:1-2) and respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit He sent to guide us (John 14:26) we can bear much fruit.
If not our lives will be unfruitful, because without Him we can do nothing of spiritual value. We’ll still be saved, but we’ll be of no more use to the work of the Kingdom than the unfruitful branches the gardener discards at pruning time. Paul confirmed this in 1 Cor 3:12-15. The unfruitful believer will be saved, but as one escaping through the flames.

This is not a matter of success or failure from a worldly stand point. It’s a matter of motive. Many of us will see some of our greatest accomplishments burn in the fires of judgment because we achieved them with wrong motives, like self-satisfaction, or recognition from others, or even a desire to “make points” with God. Only those things that are prompted by the Holy Spirit and where our only motive is gratitude for all we’ve been given will survive. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. (1 Cor. 4:5)
These are the seven “I am” statements in the Gospel of John

Jesus is the One who spiritually sustains us (1). Through Him we gain spiritual understanding and wisdom for living (2). He has given us free access to the Kingdom (3), having paid our entrance fee with His life (4). Whether we die before the rapture or are taken live in it, He has guaranteed our eternal life with God (5). He is the only one who can do this (6) and for the balance of our life on Earth, the things we do in His strength, out of gratitude for what He’s done for us, are the only things that matter (7).