Doors

  Choices are all around us..what to wear; what to eat; where to go to school; what job to pursue,etc. But as a Christian a bigger question is set before us; What is God's will? It is really a tough choice trying to do what we feel or know God is calling us to do. It is much more complex than a choice between good and evil...what if we are faced with two equally 'good' situations?   Deuteronomy 30:19 sets the simple choice before us "I call heaven and earth as my witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses, therefore choose life"
The choice above is simple...but often choices we are faced with are much more difficult. Two or three Christian colleges, all of which look good are set before a graduate who must choose which path to take. Where should he go? Two great looking job offers are given to someone who recently lost their job...which path should she take?
  Sometimes the answer is whichever door is open. This brings to mind the quotation "When God closes a door He always opens a window" from the Sound of Music. God says  in Revelation 3:7b,8 "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."

If God opens a door...follow Him through it...and you are on the right path. Sometimes it seems like a door is open but then it shuts...so be ready for whatever happens. Keep praying about it, but remember what you do must be God's will not your own or the will of others. Pray for open doors and God will always answer.

Prayer

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.
Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.
Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains
That reach The Majesty on high.
Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters Heav’n with prayer.
Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”
The saints in prayer appear as one
In word, in deed, and mind,
While with the Father and the Son
Sweet fellowship they find.
No prayer is made by man alone
The Holy Spirit pleads,
And Jesus, on th’eternal throne,
For sinners intercedes.
O Thou by Whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray.

---

by James Montgomery

Just a few weeks ago I desperately said a prayer...I was having one of those days where nothing seems to go right...and I needed to stop and pray...I prayed that God would make His presence felt again in my life. I also prayed some specific things (I don't often do that because I hate making a 'wishlist' for God). But this time was different...There was something I needed to know...basically it involved somebody getting in contact with me ASAP...and I had no idea when they would. So I asked God...then checked my e-mail...and there it was...and e-mail from the person I had prayed about!

Moral: God answers prayer...pray whenever and wherever! Pastor Bylsma once said "never ignore the impulse to pray". That is the theme of the hymn written above here, and that is the theme of my little story...

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing"

All of creation

Separated until the veil was torn
The moment that hope was born
and guilt was pardoned once and for all

Captivated but no longer bound by chains
left at an empty grave
the sinner and the sacred resolved

[chorus:]
and all of creation sing with me now
lift up your voice and lay your burden down
and all of creation sing with me now
fill up the heavens let his glory resound

Time has faded and we see him face to face


every doubt erased forever we will worhip the king

[repeat chorus]

ohh ah ohhh...ohh ah ohhh

the reason we breathe is to sing of his glory
and for all he has done praise the father praise the son and the spirit in one

[repeat chorus 2x]

and every knee will bow oh and every tongue praise the father praise the son and the spirit in one

song ALL OF CREATION by MercyMe

20 Questions

This post is just for fun...a great way to get to know people and break the ice when you can't think of anything to talk about...enjoy...

20 Questions to ask...
1. When was the last time you took a bath?
2. If you saw a chicken cross the road would you wonder why?
3. When was the last time you saw a rainbow and where did you see it?
4. When is the last time you sprayed something smelly and what did it smell like?
5. Describe the first pair of shoes you remember wearing.
6. What was the last animal you touched?
7. Who or what is the last thing you hugged?
8. What type of meat did you last eat?
9. What was the last movie you watched?
10. What was the last show you saw?
11. When and how did you last hurt yourself?
12. What was the last thing you purchased?
13. Have you ever been in a police car and why?
14. Have you ever ridden in a taxi and where?
15. Name all the countries you have visited.
16. Have you ever had to wear a uniform and what did it consist of?
17. Who did you send your last e-mail to?
18. Do you know how your parents met? (if yes then how)
19. Have you ever sung the song "if you're happy and you know it" by yourself?
20. Have you ever been kicked out of a store and why?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
make it a game...you can think of all kinds of crazy questions and learn more about people especially on long trips ;)

The Thankfulness Test

I thought this was a wonderful test that Pastor Bouwers presented at the last Building Honourable Youth conferance. (more info @ http://www.buildinghonourableyouth.com/)

The test is simple and addresses our actions and conduct and how we can know if they are good or not. It may seem black and white but there are many grey areas where we run into problems. Why not do it? Well, why do it? ...this test helps a lot...

Can you say thank you to God for what you did or want to do? If not, no it is not good but if so, then it is good. If all your actions are worthy of thanking God for what a blessing!

And a bible passage that also helps...

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Phillipians 3:8)

On Target

"We aim at nothing and we hit every time" Douglas Wilson

What are you aiming for? Is your sight darkened by sin? Are you shooting for the moon, and hoping that if you miss you'll be among the stars? What is you aim, your goal, your target?

It should be to serve God. He is the One who gives life purpose. He is the one who Loves you, and saves. Let Him be your target...He's too big to miss, and His grace is perfect.

Grenade

I love the song "Grenade" by Bruno Mars...It speaks of the pain and sacrifice of love. Unfortunately this pain is so great for the singer, he loves this girl so much yet she doesn't love him back...so in this song he sings about all the things he would do for her; go through much pain, and ultimately give up his life.
     It kind of reminds me of our relationship to God. He loves us so much yet we constantly reject Him and worship other things. He would, and di make s many sacrifices for us...like in John 3:16-17..."For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him."

Like Chocolate

 I recently read the introduction to this season's "The Word For You Today"...and I believe it was Peter from UCB Canada who wrote it. He mentioned how much he loves chocolate (I do too!) and how exciting recent studies have been syaing that dark chocolate (in small doses each day) is good for you...it has antioxidants in it. But he also went on to point out that, as we all know, too much of a good thing is dangerous...too much chocolate is bad for you. He made an interesting comparison...he said that the Bible is like food...and your favorite stories/verses are like chocolate. If you only read your favorite verses or stories it is bad for you because you do not benefit from the nutrition of the rest of the Bible...This does not mean that you should not read your favorite parts of the Bible...It's not wrong to have chocoate once in a while, it is healthy. It simply means that you should not pass over other parts of the Bible and suffer from malnutrition because you only hear part of the Word.

...for example...find where these verses are in the Bible...

"Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” 


"And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, _____?”
   “A plumb line,” I replied.
   Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.


"When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
   the light of my face was precious to them."