Wednesday, June 23, 2010
FATHER'S DAY
Father's Day has come and gone. This Father's Day marked the first for my wife without her dad and my seventh without my dad. Being a dad is a challenge, maybe one of life's greatest challenges. Maybe I should rephrase. If you desire to be a good dad and lead your family and train your children to be persons of character and follow the Christian faith, it is a monumental challenge. I am thankful for a dad who did his best to train, lead and provide. I am forever a debtor to Joseph Donnerberg, and Karen would say the same about her dad, James Blankenship. I am grateful for my earthly father's love and life, but I am also grateful for a Father in heaven who loves to give good gifts to His children. A heavenly Father who knows what I need even before I ask, who gives the Holy Spirit as a most precious gift. The gift I cherish today is the presence of my heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit living in me. My Dad's presence is a distant memory. But my Father in heaven is here, with and within me today. That presence leads, guides, provides, disciplines, encourages, sanctifies, strengthens. His Spirit witnesses with my Spirit that I am His child and He loves me.
Monday, June 7, 2010
JOY
We are beginning a series of messages at Amarillo First Nazarene on the promises of God from the Gospel of John. This Sunday is the promise of joy, John 15:11. Like peace, joy is the salvation of the Lord. Joy is the good news replacing the bad news in the human heart, it is the taste of forgiveness and release from guilt and condemnation. It is the rush of stepping into the Father's arms and being smothered with the embrace of holy love and acceptance. It is the smile that erupts from the depths of a heart that has been liberated, healed, and invaded with Divine holiness. Joy is the awe of being overwhelmed wtih abounding grace and magnificant mercy. Joy is Jesus Christ-Savior, Sanctifier, Shepherd. Joy is the hallelujah of the life redeemed from darkness and death. Joy is the inner dance of a new creature in Christ. Joy is the celebration of God in Christ and the discovery and participation in amazing grace.
I heard Ravi Zacharias say this: Joy for Christian is central and sorrow peripheral. For the unbeliever sorrow is central and joy is peripheral...the fruit of the Spirit is joy.
I heard Ravi Zacharias say this: Joy for Christian is central and sorrow peripheral. For the unbeliever sorrow is central and joy is peripheral...the fruit of the Spirit is joy.
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Wednesday, June 23, 2010
FATHER'S DAY
Father's Day has come and gone. This Father's Day marked the first for my wife without her dad and my seventh without my dad. Being a dad is a challenge, maybe one of life's greatest challenges. Maybe I should rephrase. If you desire to be a good dad and lead your family and train your children to be persons of character and follow the Christian faith, it is a monumental challenge. I am thankful for a dad who did his best to train, lead and provide. I am forever a debtor to Joseph Donnerberg, and Karen would say the same about her dad, James Blankenship. I am grateful for my earthly father's love and life, but I am also grateful for a Father in heaven who loves to give good gifts to His children. A heavenly Father who knows what I need even before I ask, who gives the Holy Spirit as a most precious gift. The gift I cherish today is the presence of my heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit living in me. My Dad's presence is a distant memory. But my Father in heaven is here, with and within me today. That presence leads, guides, provides, disciplines, encourages, sanctifies, strengthens. His Spirit witnesses with my Spirit that I am His child and He loves me.
Monday, June 7, 2010
JOY
We are beginning a series of messages at Amarillo First Nazarene on the promises of God from the Gospel of John. This Sunday is the promise of joy, John 15:11. Like peace, joy is the salvation of the Lord. Joy is the good news replacing the bad news in the human heart, it is the taste of forgiveness and release from guilt and condemnation. It is the rush of stepping into the Father's arms and being smothered with the embrace of holy love and acceptance. It is the smile that erupts from the depths of a heart that has been liberated, healed, and invaded with Divine holiness. Joy is the awe of being overwhelmed wtih abounding grace and magnificant mercy. Joy is Jesus Christ-Savior, Sanctifier, Shepherd. Joy is the hallelujah of the life redeemed from darkness and death. Joy is the inner dance of a new creature in Christ. Joy is the celebration of God in Christ and the discovery and participation in amazing grace.
I heard Ravi Zacharias say this: Joy for Christian is central and sorrow peripheral. For the unbeliever sorrow is central and joy is peripheral...the fruit of the Spirit is joy.
I heard Ravi Zacharias say this: Joy for Christian is central and sorrow peripheral. For the unbeliever sorrow is central and joy is peripheral...the fruit of the Spirit is joy.
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