Satan's Secret Strategy

Continuing our series in Genesis we looked at Genesis 3:1-7. 

Satan has a strategy. Jesus pointed this out in John 10:10. "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."

As we read the story of the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden we learn several things about the enemies schemes.

First the devil tries to get us to doubt God's provisions. Though God had given all things to Adam and Eve he did have one rule and that was not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Satan's goal was to take Eve's eyes off of what she had in abundance to what she could not have i.e. the forbidden fruit. Satan tries to convince us that God is holding out on us. He's not giving us everything when we want it. 

During this time of Hurricane cleanup in Galveston and the surrounding area we can easily be tempted to focus on what we have lost instead of what we still have. We begin to doubt God. We begin to question God. When we begin down that path without realizing it we begin to bring God's character into doubt. 

When Job lost everything in one day he fell on his face before God and cried out, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." At the end of the story of Job God gave him much more than he had to begin with. In other words God is able and willing to restore not only what has been lost but also more because of His great love for us.

Tell the devil to take a hike! We're not biting into his lies. I will trust God to see me through and I will do my best with God's help, to aid my neighbors and demonstrate the love of Christ.

Hurricane Ike

I know it's been a while since I posted something but we have been kinda distracted to say the least with Hurricane Ike. While many fared well with minimal damage to their property there are some who have lost much and it's going to take time to rebuild and restore. 

While we were in Dallas hiding from Ike I kept thinking about those FEMA trailers and if they would be big enough for my family and would I still have a job to go back to and what exactly was all that stuff in my garage since I had the presence  of mind to take a video recording of the interior of my house before we left, just in case, but I forgot about the garage so I lay awake at night and started making a list of everything in my garage for the insurance because it adds up pretty fast and i was surprised to see how many tools and other stuff we actually had and this is after I had cleaned up my garage and repainted it.

But alas, we didn't have any damage to speak of. I was secretly hoping for new rain gutters since the ones we have are so old and I was sure they were going to be gone but not one lousy rusted gutter was moved from it's place. We didn't even lose one shingle of roofing and I started to feel bad because I had prayed that the Lord would protect our home and now I was a little miffed because he did such a good job. I hope that doesn't make me a bad person and all. I think it just shows I'm human and sometimes not as spiritual as I would like to think. 

I did weep for those who have lost so much and I will do my best to pray for them and to help them as much as I can to recover.

Ideas for the Sabbath

Things to say "yes" to on the Sabbath.

*joyful worship

*feasting, playing, taking delight in nature and in one other

*freedom that contributes to the freedom of others and to the well-being of the natural world

*something different from what you do regularly all other days

Things to say "no" to on the Sabbath.

*committee meetings - even for church

*the marketplace - try not to spend money on the Sabbath. Refuse to let the marketplace govern this day.

*mourning and sadness at least on this day

*rest from commerce

*rest from worry

*rest for creation

*rest from work

These ideas are from www.practicingourfaith.org

What ideas do you have for the Sabbath day?

The Gift of Sabbath

Pastor Dan shared from Genesis 2:1-3 where God establishes a day of rest called Sabbath. It is important to note that this Sabbath of rest is set aside before the law and the ten commandments was given. It was later incorporated into the laws given the Israelites with punishment for those who disregarded the day.

As Christians we also have the privilege of observing the Sabbath although we are not under the law of Moses we do live by a higher law. Many Christians say that since it was under the law we no longer need to keep it but we must remember that it was established before the law was given. If this argument holds true then we should be able to disregard all the other commandments as well. Since no one believes that then we need to come to a mature understanding of exactly what it was that God intended when he set aside this day of rest.

Jesus words help to shed some light on the subject. When criticized for breaking the Sabbath by allowing his disciples to pick a few heads of wheat Jesus responded that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. There are some religious groups that insist that the day be kept on Saturday and in a certain way. The Scribes, Pharisees and teachers of the law had over the years come up with 39 categories of prohibited actions for the Sabbath. Each category was then subdivided into more things not to do. It had become a burden and repressive and nearly impossible to keep.

Jesus came to free us from all the rules and regulations and brought us back to what was originally intended and that is relationship. Sabbath was a day for nurturing relationships both with God and with people. 

This week I'll post some ways we as Christians can honor the Sabbath in a way that is pleasing to God. I am very interested in how creative we can be with the Sabbath. Leave a comment.

Free to Worship

From Sam's message last Sunday.

The second thing Sam brought out in his message about the Woman at the Well from John 4 was that an encounter with Jesus will cause you to worship with no excuses.

The woman was more concerned with "where" we are supposed to worship but Jesus told her that God was more concerned with "how" we worship.

For our worship to be acceptable it must be done in spirit and in truth. Too often we concern ourselves with style and we put substance aside. Jesus would say to us, I believe, that its not about hymns or choruses, traditional or contemporary, blue grass or country or rock. Its about worshipping in spirit and in truth and in fact it is those kinds of worshippers that God is actually looking for.

I hope that when God hears us on Sunday mornings at Faith that he finds many such worshippers. Believers who are simply excited and thankful and can't wait to worship the Lord with all our hearts. There is something beautiful to God that he dwells or inhabits the praises of His people. When we worship in spirit and in truth God himself draws near to hear us.

Coming clean with the Master

Sam Puente brought a powerful message on Sunday. Sam and Ester Puente serve as Associate Pastors at Faith Assembly in League City, Texas. Both Sam & Ester have degrees from Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

One point that really stuck in my mind and heart was the first point in Sam's message from John 4 on the woman at the well.

An encounter with Christ will always reveal truth. When Jesus asked the woman to go get her husband she said she didn't have a husband. Jesus knew this was true and commended her for it. You cannot come to Christ without coming clean with who or what you are. There was this feeling in her that she could come clean about her past with Jesus. Something accepting and non-judgmental about him that she just couldn't resist telling him the truth. 

There must have been a huge weight lifting from her soul as she became vulnerable.

Christ was not shocked or disgusted with her truth. He already knew it. I really believe that the reason Jesus offered her "living water" was because she had taken a huge step forward by acknowledging who and what she was. She was ready to receive and he knew it.

How about you? Are you ready to come clean with your past? With Jesus you can unburden your soul and receive eternal life in the process.