Quote from Forum Archives on January 14, 2003, 12:18 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I'd like to share part two of Larry Davies' message, "God,
Breathe New Life Into Us!" The topic hits on something that is
close to my own heart. You see, as I've attended various
churches over the years, some which have remained the same, no
matter what, others that change all the time, no matter what, and
still others that wonder what's worth changing and what's worth
remaining the same, I am drawn to the topic.

How do we remain true to the the Spirit of what God is doing in
our midst? We certainly don't want to alter the truth of His
Word. We don't want to get into silly squabbles about what's the
best way to minister to others. But neither do we want to get
into a comfortable routine, only to find that what we 'thought'
was worship ended up being far away from the true God that we
love. What's the right thing to do?

I wrestle with this all the time myself. I enjoy expressing
myself in worship in a variety of ways, yet I don't want the
variety itself to become or replace true worship. What's the
answer?

Larry poses many of these questions and others like them, then he
begins to describe some things that we can do to respond to
situations in our midst. I believe it all begins and ends with
God, and God loves people. So a healthy church and a healthy
ministry involves both God and people. We always yearn for God,
seeking Him first in everything,

As we study the life of Jesus Christ, we consistently see that
Jesus was far more concerned about the right attitudes and the
right responses than He was with perfection. He said, "Seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..." then all the
other things that you seek will fall into their proper
perspective.

God provides. God will breathe life, even to a broken spirit, at
least if we say "Yes" to God, and allow Him to do it. For even
though God is in charge of all things, He never pushes Himself
upon us - at least not until the final day of judgment. We will
be accountable for every choice that we make, yet we are given
the choice. Let's make the most of our choices and find ways to
celebrate the goodness of God, to ask Him to breathe new life
into whatever we struggle with, and to respond when He places the
answer in front of us.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

____________________________________________________________

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Sowing Seeds of Faith...

Did you miss part one? Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Ezekiel1.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.

 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.

 Listen...Listen to the spoken and unspoken needs of
your community. Do you live in a neighborhood full of single
parents and children? How can your church offer help?

 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.

 Teach... Teaching in 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.

 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 to begin a Bible study at school.

Is that all there is to it? No! Now it's time for God to breathe
life into the church.

 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?

 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.

 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.

 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.

 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 a new year begins, 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!

Do you have a church "restored to life" story to share? Reply to
this email and I may use it in a future devotion.

If you like this devotion you will love the book: "Breaking the
Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe for a Better Life"
now on sale only through this website. Click here for more
information: www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

Join our prayer ministry by clicking here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.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, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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