We were really blessed today by CP Anderson's message "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life". It was baby dedication day so a lot of relatives had come to the service, some of them all the way from Chicago.
This was may be the best salvation message I've heard in a long, long time.
Check it out and may you want to link your blog to this message or forward it to some of your friends or relatives.
Click here to hear the message.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wearing out God
"Wearing out God"
REVELATION: The last book of the Old Testament. The prophet Malachi allows us to peak into the minds and the hearts of the covenant people at that time. The picture is not pretty. The first two chapters outline the issues God has with his covenant people. Chapter 2, verse 17 nails it on the head.
Mal. 2:17 You have wearied the LORD with your words.
"How have we wearied him?" you ask.
By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"
Can you imagine to weary the Lord with something? The prophet Isaiah says in Is. 40:28, that "the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary. And weary here is the same word (hebrew - yaga') as in Malachi 2:17. What changed? Is this a contradiction? Actually not. Isaiah refers to God's creative powers and energy. Malachi walks us into the finest and deepest chambers of God's own heart. While no physical challenge is too great for His power, our attitudes, stubbornness and slowness to change can actually wear out even God himself. The next thing is that God speaks of sending the Messenger of the covenant to the temple. It's a day of judgement and purification. Good news to some, not so good news to the chronic rebels and hypocrites described so vividly by Malachi in chapters 1 and 2.
OBSERVATION: As a leader I've observed through the years number of people who begin their walk with God, invest a good amount of time in educating themselves Biblically and all of a sudden hit a ceiling of a sort, a spiritual limitation they don't seem to be able to break through. It's not a matter of accumulating more knowledge. It comes to a point where stuff in our lives has to go and too many of us choose to hold on to it. We go through deliverance sessions, we kick and scream, but somewhere there underneath all of this, there is a deep root of bitterness. It sounds like this: "Where is the God of justice?"
A lot of people abandon their faith because they can't reconcile God's claim of being just and righteous with their own life experience and a world full of injustices. It's a very deep, intimate issue and many people don't even realize this deep root of bitterness is operating in their lives. It affects themselves (depression), it affects others (anger) and ultimately it affects the Kingdom (grieving the Holy Spirit).
IMPLICATION: Realize that the temptation to start blaming God for everything that's wrong inside and outside of you is there and it's very real. Ask Cain and he'll tell you. "Sin lies at the door..." (Gen. 4:6) It will affect your relationship with God in the long run. This is a heart issue but it has implications in many other areas. Jealousy, anger and even murder begin at heart level. Don't neglect to look into your own heart. Be willing to accept God's diagnosis, however hard it may be. Even a donkey can speak out and identify what's wrong with you. Don't wait for the donkey, though. Start by asking yourself, the Holy Spirit, those closest to you (even Abel if needed). Acknowledge the hidden bitterness, bring it to open and get free from it. If this doesn't work, go cold turkey and confess all your sins to someone you trust and will love you beyond reason. (James 5:16)
And remember, this fallen world will never reflect fully God's Justice. That's why we have Judgement Day coming. And then the promise of Heaven and the ultimate justice of hell for those who have chosen to violate God and mankind in this life and forever.
REVELATION: The last book of the Old Testament. The prophet Malachi allows us to peak into the minds and the hearts of the covenant people at that time. The picture is not pretty. The first two chapters outline the issues God has with his covenant people. Chapter 2, verse 17 nails it on the head.
Mal. 2:17 You have wearied the LORD with your words.
"How have we wearied him?" you ask.
By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"
Can you imagine to weary the Lord with something? The prophet Isaiah says in Is. 40:28, that "the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary. And weary here is the same word (hebrew - yaga') as in Malachi 2:17. What changed? Is this a contradiction? Actually not. Isaiah refers to God's creative powers and energy. Malachi walks us into the finest and deepest chambers of God's own heart. While no physical challenge is too great for His power, our attitudes, stubbornness and slowness to change can actually wear out even God himself. The next thing is that God speaks of sending the Messenger of the covenant to the temple. It's a day of judgement and purification. Good news to some, not so good news to the chronic rebels and hypocrites described so vividly by Malachi in chapters 1 and 2.
OBSERVATION: As a leader I've observed through the years number of people who begin their walk with God, invest a good amount of time in educating themselves Biblically and all of a sudden hit a ceiling of a sort, a spiritual limitation they don't seem to be able to break through. It's not a matter of accumulating more knowledge. It comes to a point where stuff in our lives has to go and too many of us choose to hold on to it. We go through deliverance sessions, we kick and scream, but somewhere there underneath all of this, there is a deep root of bitterness. It sounds like this: "Where is the God of justice?"
A lot of people abandon their faith because they can't reconcile God's claim of being just and righteous with their own life experience and a world full of injustices. It's a very deep, intimate issue and many people don't even realize this deep root of bitterness is operating in their lives. It affects themselves (depression), it affects others (anger) and ultimately it affects the Kingdom (grieving the Holy Spirit).
IMPLICATION: Realize that the temptation to start blaming God for everything that's wrong inside and outside of you is there and it's very real. Ask Cain and he'll tell you. "Sin lies at the door..." (Gen. 4:6) It will affect your relationship with God in the long run. This is a heart issue but it has implications in many other areas. Jealousy, anger and even murder begin at heart level. Don't neglect to look into your own heart. Be willing to accept God's diagnosis, however hard it may be. Even a donkey can speak out and identify what's wrong with you. Don't wait for the donkey, though. Start by asking yourself, the Holy Spirit, those closest to you (even Abel if needed). Acknowledge the hidden bitterness, bring it to open and get free from it. If this doesn't work, go cold turkey and confess all your sins to someone you trust and will love you beyond reason. (James 5:16)
And remember, this fallen world will never reflect fully God's Justice. That's why we have Judgement Day coming. And then the promise of Heaven and the ultimate justice of hell for those who have chosen to violate God and mankind in this life and forever.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
In New York after more than 10 years
Last week I was in New York. It's been more than ten years since the last time I've been in this city. We used to go through New York in the 90s because Wanda's brother David used to live there and also because of Joan, her friend from Bible School. Manhattan seemed so crazy every other time we've been there. I remember shopping for our first camcorder on 5th Avenue at one of the electronics shops. Oh, what a crazy time that was!
Well, this time it was altogether different. For starters they have really upgraded JFK airport. Really nice actually.
I was in New York at the invitation of bishop Joseph Mattera of Resurrection Church. He's also the presiding apostle of Christ Covenant Coalition. The Lord has been bringing us into a closer relationship since last year and it was such a blessing to be in New York with him, the leaders of CCC and also with the Mattera family. They are such an inspiration and a blessing to be around!
On Sunday I had the honor of ministering at Resurrection Church. This is a great church! They have really made a huge difference in Brooklyn. I was telling one of the leaders there that they really should be in one of those Transformation videos that George Barna put out in the late 90s and later on. Resurrection Church has definitely brought transformation to Brooklyn. It was so awesome to be around such precious people who are in a daily battle for the souls and the well being of people in Brooklyn.
I also had a chance to visit downtown Manhattan and the Memorial Site of the former World Trade Center towers.
Special thank you to Robert and Lucy Sepe who took the time to go with me to downtown. I really enjoyed it and will remember this visit forever! Thank you guys!
Check out some of the photos I took.
Well, this time it was altogether different. For starters they have really upgraded JFK airport. Really nice actually.
I was in New York at the invitation of bishop Joseph Mattera of Resurrection Church. He's also the presiding apostle of Christ Covenant Coalition. The Lord has been bringing us into a closer relationship since last year and it was such a blessing to be in New York with him, the leaders of CCC and also with the Mattera family. They are such an inspiration and a blessing to be around!
On Sunday I had the honor of ministering at Resurrection Church. This is a great church! They have really made a huge difference in Brooklyn. I was telling one of the leaders there that they really should be in one of those Transformation videos that George Barna put out in the late 90s and later on. Resurrection Church has definitely brought transformation to Brooklyn. It was so awesome to be around such precious people who are in a daily battle for the souls and the well being of people in Brooklyn.
I also had a chance to visit downtown Manhattan and the Memorial Site of the former World Trade Center towers.
Special thank you to Robert and Lucy Sepe who took the time to go with me to downtown. I really enjoyed it and will remember this visit forever! Thank you guys!
Check out some of the photos I took.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
How much do you love your mama? Probably not as much as Italian men.
So, young man, you love your mama? Well, Italian men love their mamas more than anyone!
This is what the government in Italy has discovered and they want to reverse the trend.
The Daily Telegraph reports that 8 out of 10 Italians aged under 30 still live at home and that the average age of moving out is 36. THE AVERAGE! Not the minimum or the maximum - THE AVERAGE! This means that there must be men who live at home with their parents until they are 40 years old or more!
So the Italian government will now give tax breaks for men who leave home early. Why? Because staying at home with mommy may be good for your selfish, infantile ego, but it ain't good for the economy.
One Italian man, television quiz show host (this means not poor, i.e. having enough dough to live on his own) is quoted by saying that the reason he's living with his parents at the age of 42 and with his girlfriend is because he "never felt the need to leave" and because "he loves them".
So, next time you tell your mom you love her, think again - do you really? Then what are you doing actually moving out, renting or owning a home, having a wife and kids and all that comes with it?
George Bakalov
A Bulgarian man who's been living on his own since he was 18 years old, got married at 22 , had his first child at 24 and has little sympathy or understanding for big mama's boys, regardless of their country of origin or residence.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Bulgarians least happy of all EU member countries
My wife loves Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people. She also likes to talk to taxi drivers when we are in Bulgaria. She says that most of them sound so much alike. Wanda thinks that one of the biggest problems in Bulgaria is the fact that people have such a deep mistrust for each other. So even when someone good comes along, people can't recognize what has come their way. In case you think she's wrong, here is a study the EU commissioned earlier this year.
In fact I've been thinking about this lately. True, the curse in this world affects all of us. Sickness, poverty and violence are so common these days. Sin has affected every faced of human life, in every culture in the world, throughout all known history. The general analysis of the human experience can be summed up by the word struggle. Our life is a struggle against various adverse realities. First of all, the struggle is against sin itself. Sin lies at the door, said God to Cain. YOU must rule over it! Did you hear that? You and I must rule over it. We can't do it in our own power, but we can certainly join our will with God's will and then His power will help us keep the destructive force of sin away from us.
Enough preaching, right?
But look at what God tells Cain before that. "Why has your countenance fallen?" Sounds to me like Cain was unhappy and it was easily visible. Which means that God in a way expected him to look better, happier. In spite of Adam and Eve's mess. In spite of the tragedy of the fall, Abel had found a way to connect with God and therefore connect to hope.
I'm asking those of you who are Christians: tragedies and tough situations aside, are you a happy person? What makes you unhappy?
Wanda thinks that may be if the taxi drivers or people in general in Bulgaria felt like they can actually change some things in this country, they would be happier. And I agree. The reason people feel depressed is because they have no hope. And even when they become Christians, they must develop a mindset of freedom. Not just to have experienced spiritual freedom. But to also develop a mindset of freedom. To a point where being oppressed is no longer natural.
It's time for people here to realize THEY HAVE the responsibility to take advantage of their freedom. To realize they have been given such freedom by law and rise up against the oppressive system in this nation - the mafia, the corrupt government, the corrupt politicians.
Do read the study though, it's pretty interesting.
In fact I've been thinking about this lately. True, the curse in this world affects all of us. Sickness, poverty and violence are so common these days. Sin has affected every faced of human life, in every culture in the world, throughout all known history. The general analysis of the human experience can be summed up by the word struggle. Our life is a struggle against various adverse realities. First of all, the struggle is against sin itself. Sin lies at the door, said God to Cain. YOU must rule over it! Did you hear that? You and I must rule over it. We can't do it in our own power, but we can certainly join our will with God's will and then His power will help us keep the destructive force of sin away from us.
Enough preaching, right?
But look at what God tells Cain before that. "Why has your countenance fallen?" Sounds to me like Cain was unhappy and it was easily visible. Which means that God in a way expected him to look better, happier. In spite of Adam and Eve's mess. In spite of the tragedy of the fall, Abel had found a way to connect with God and therefore connect to hope.
I'm asking those of you who are Christians: tragedies and tough situations aside, are you a happy person? What makes you unhappy?
Wanda thinks that may be if the taxi drivers or people in general in Bulgaria felt like they can actually change some things in this country, they would be happier. And I agree. The reason people feel depressed is because they have no hope. And even when they become Christians, they must develop a mindset of freedom. Not just to have experienced spiritual freedom. But to also develop a mindset of freedom. To a point where being oppressed is no longer natural.
It's time for people here to realize THEY HAVE the responsibility to take advantage of their freedom. To realize they have been given such freedom by law and rise up against the oppressive system in this nation - the mafia, the corrupt government, the corrupt politicians.
Do read the study though, it's pretty interesting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)