Word for Today, Mon, 03 Jul 2006: Breathe New Life
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
My personal prayer, quite often, is precisely the second part in
Larry Davies' current series of messages, entitled, "God Breathe
New Life into Us!"
You may recall that one of my personal practices, at least a
couple times a year, (typically during seasons such as Advent and
Lent, the times of preparation before remembering the birth of
Jesus Christ and the death and resurrection of Christ.
respectively) is that I examine my personal habits, particularly
my spiritual habits and I ask God to breathe new life into my
relationship with Him.
As long as I live, I will never forget what God has done for me
personally, and I often think about the days to come, when there
will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more disappointments.
What remains will be glorious, and the I and me will be gone, and
Christ will be the center of all activities.
I strive toward that today, but if you are as honest as I also
want to be, you will realize, as I have, that I often fall far
short of that mark. That is why it is so important to know for
certain that Jesus Christ has secured a home for us in heaven -
certainly not on our own merit, but on what HE has graciously
done for us, removing our sin and taking it upon Himself.
It was for that reason that God turned His back on His own Son,
for He could not look at the awful burden of sin that Jesus
Christ bore on His back for you and for me.
How can I possibly NOT be forever grateful for that? How can I
possibly not desire that He regularly renew my spirit and align
it with His will? How can I not desire to serve Him, not that I
can ever possibly repay the debt that I owe, but out of
gratitude, serve Him with gladness?
O Saints of His and future saints of His, isn't it marvelous that
God loves us enough that He gives us free will and permits us to
stray, and He provides the way back - through the sacrificial
flesh of His Own Son? Who else could pull that off but God? Who
else could bring His much beloved Son back to life, to reign
forever?
Yes, breathe on me breath of God, til I am wholly thine!
Yours in Christ,
Brian
Sowing Seeds of Faith...
Did you miss part one? Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Ezekiel1.htm
Read a Sowing Seeds Ministry Devotion nearly every day of the
year by clicking here and saving this page to your favorites:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm
"God Breathe New Life into Us!" Part 2 Larry Davies
Good leaders never accept 'the way it is...' They dream of what
could be and work to make it a reality. Last week, Ezekiel asked,
"Preacher, can these dead people live?" (Ezekiel 37) In other
words: "Can God still breathe life into our church?" The answer
is a resounding... "Yes!"
"So I preached to the dead people as God commanded. First one
person began to smile and then another moved his head to look at
me. One woman began to fold her hands together as if in prayer...
but there was still no twinkle of light in any of their eyes or
color in their cheeks." (Ezekiel 37)
So what can we do to enable our church to truly live? We start
with the basics.
1. Pray... Everything begins with prayer. Pray for God to
breathe new life into you. Start a small group dedicated to
praying for your church. Emphasize prayer time during worship
services.
2. Listen... Listen to the spoken and unspoken needs of your
community. For example: Do you live in a neighborhood with single
parents? How can your church offer help?
3. Worship... Worship should be relevant and exciting. Churches
are forming worship teams to help their pastor explore creative
ideas and better utilize the talents within their congregation.
4. Teach... Teaching small groups offers new life. Many new
ministries begin because someone within a Bible study or small
group feels called by God to become more involved.
5. Be Open... Be open to new ideas and people. As your church
grows, new people will feel inspired to offer suggestions. Will
you listen with respect and be open to change?
Then God said to me, "Keep preaching to the dead and say this:
'Holy Spirit, come from the four corners of the globe and breathe
life into their dead bodies.'" So I did as God commanded and
there were strange noises throughout the congregation as people
began first to breathe, then to sing, not like dead people, but
with the excitement of folks possessed by God's living spirit.
(Ezekiel 37)
* One man shouted saying God had healed him of the pain caused
by a painful marital separation.
* Another left the church to seek a former friend and reconcile
their differences.
* One elderly woman walked over to the youth and began to hug
each of them.
* A businesswoman was led to donate a portion of her profits
toward a homeless shelter.
* A teenager felt called by God to begin a prayer group at
school.
Is that all there is to it? No but it's a start! Now, it's time
for God to breathe life into the church.
1. Discover... Churches like individuals need to discover their
mission. No church can do everything but every church can do
something. What would God have your church do?
2. Start... Set an example by starting a ministry within your
church which suits your particular gifts such as a Bible study
within your home or volunteer your time at a local literacy
group.
3. Evangelize... Evangelism begins when you look for someone as
a friend. Pray for them by name. Ask God to use you. Tell your
story and even admit your struggles. Watch God work.
4. Involve... Ministry means matching needs with the talents of
members. A church consolidated thirty committees into four teams
and challenged each team to design a new ministry.
5. Celebrate... Every church has events to celebrate and
accomplishments to lift up. Ministries and people should be
congratulated frequently. Celebrated success is contagious.
As the holy breath of God entered the dead bodies throughout the
church they each came to life and jumped to their feet -- a vast
army. Then God said: "These dead bodies represent my beloved
church who feel cut off from Me and whose hope for living is
gone. Therefore, preach to them and say: 'God promises to open
your graves and give you life. Then you will know that I am God.
I will put my Spirit in you and you will live!" (Ezekiel 37)
As Christians and as God's Church, may we be challenged to live
again. For all our shortcomings, the church is still the best
place to find God's eternal healing and comfort. May God breathe
life into our dead bodies and help us rise up again to become a
mighty army... the church! "Then you will know that I am God. I
will put my Spirit in you and you will live!" Wow! What a wonder
to behold!
Did you miss part one? Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Ezekiel1.htm
Read a Sowing Seeds Ministry Devotion nearly every day of the
year by clicking here and saving this page to your favorites:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm
Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm
Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm
How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm
Jesus said: "You are the light of the world -- like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)
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Brian Masinick, masinick at yahoo dot com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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