Jesus be the Center

Here is the clip that summarizes my message this morning:





Here is another song that shares this power truth.  Jesus should NOT be first on your list pf priorities for this new year - Jesus should be the center:

Preparing for worship on January 6th

As I prepare for church tomorrow at NRN I am very "pumped" about the message God has given to me.  The core idea is from a pastor friend who has not only given me permission to use the idea but also the graphic logo and the roll in clip.

 I have thought much about the progression of the truth of this message across the years.  Charles Sheldon wrote the book "in His Steps" where he asked the question: "What would Jesus do?"  A friend of mine serving as a youth pastor in Michigan used that idea to create a bracelet which gained world wide exposure with the simple initials WWJD.  To be continued below...

Our worship set consist of the following:







We prepare for our first communion of 2013 by singing:



Following our communion and prayer we will sing together:




Then, following the roll in clip, I will begin my message:

 

Yes, you read that correctly. DON'T PUT JESUS FIRST THIS YEAR.

Before you label me a heretic, come and hear the message in person at NRN tomorrow morning at 10:45am.  Also - I have a free gift for every person in attendance.  

Before the Throne of God Above

As I continued my thoughts about the importance of prayer I was reminded of an old hymn. 

Here is the version by Go Fish:





Here are the words:

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Words: Charitie Bancroft, 1863.

Music: William Bradbury, 1861.

Why don't people come to prayer time at our church?

On Wednesday evenings at NRN a group meets to remember the prayer request of the church.  Our corporate prayer time is open for all but usually only averages about 7-10 people. I feel these individuals are the watchmen who stand in the gap and pray for our church. I often wonder why people do not come the church and pray.

I suspect most of us don’t pray because:

• We don’t think we have time.
• We don’t think it is important.
• We don’t believe that it makes any difference.

First of all, we do have the time! According a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, a Neilson Study reported that in 2010, Americans spend 63.5 billion minutes on social networks and blogs.¹ How much time do you spend on social networks like Facebook? Another Nielson study indicates that an average Internet user spends 68 hours on the Internet per month, about 2 hours and 6 minutes per day. ³ I rest my case; we do have the time to pray. As someone put it recently, “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”⁴

Secondly, prayer is necessary!
We know that while He was on earth, Jesus was dependent on spending vital time in prayer with the Father. How much more should we? Hebrews 5:7 reveals the passionate prayer life of our Lord. During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Before you think that you don’t need to take time to pray, think of the staggering defeat of the Israelite army when they went up to fight against the little city called Ai. Confident with victory over the mighty fortress of Jericho, they neglected to pray and consult the Lord before going to battle. Bold and careless, they were soundly defeated.

Lastly, prayer does make a difference!
I love this quote:  Prayer is “not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done on earth.”³ Prayer’s not magic; it isn’t simply submitting a grocery list to God. Remember that our Father is in heaven and we are on earth. But as His children, we can be confident that He wants to bless, use, guide, and provide for us. Perhaps “you have not because you ask not.”

How’s is your prayer life? Don’t you realize that what breathing is to our physical lives, prayer is to our spiritual lives?

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Why not plan now to join us NEXT WEDNESDAY - January 9 at 6:30


¹Bernstein, E. (2011, January 11). Your blackberry or your wife. The Wall Street Journal, D1 & D4. (Also available via http://on.wsj.com/gXASsx)
²Warren, C. (2009, October 14). Average Internet user now spends 68 hours per month online. Mashable.com via http://tinyurl.com/linchikwok01122011
³John Piper

We are the light of the world

On the last Sunday of 2012 I concluded the advent teaching series about the Overcoming the Darkness - the True Light of Christmas.  I shared about the Light of God's People.  I really appreciated Melissa as she sang this song for the offertory right before my message:



 

Every secret, every shame
Every fear, every pain
Live inside the dark
But that's not who we are
We are children of the day

So wake up sleeper, lift your head
We were meant for more than this
Fight the shadows conquer death
Make the most of the time we have left

We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine

We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine
Let the light shine, let the light shine

We are called to spread the news
Tell the world the simple truth
Jesus came to save, there's freedom in His Name
So let it all break through

We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine
We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine

Bridge:
We are the light
we are the light
we are the light
So let your light shine brighter.

We are the light
we are the light
we are the light

Jesus, You are the light
You are the light
You are the light
We will let You high and
shine, shine shine

The Word for the Day is Beginning

At the beginning of each day, well at least within the first 25 minutes after getting out of bed, I dedicate a time to spend with the Lord.  This has become a regular habit for me.  I talk to God about what is on my heart and take a number of request to Him from my prayer list. Then I spend time in His Word.  These are the Trustworthy Sayings that I established this blog upon. I read several devotionals a day. Most of them are in my "in" box on my email each day.  This coming Sunday at NRN I will be sharing about this.

One resource I enjoy is Moment with Maxwell. This is a daily motivational thought from a trust friend - John Maxwell.  Here is the posting for today:




2 Peter 1:19 says:  And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Psalm 119: 105 says: Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

What is your daily habit to begin each day? 

Happy New Year 2013

 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.