Testimony of Encouragement

There are very few men in the ministry that have effected my methods, and heart toward ministry then Matt Chandler. He has always been a powerful preacher, and a gifted pastor. His messages are filled with the sovereignty of God over all things, rejoicing in suffering, and living with a deep passion for the Lord. But no message has been more powerful then the one that he is living right now. Matt collapsed on Thanksgiving Day, a massive seizure and was later diagnosed with a fast growing form of brain cancer. His battle with this devastating disease has afforded him the opportunity to not just talk about his belief but live it out as the world watches him suffer well.

Take the time to click on the link below and listen to this message, I pray that it would encourage you and cause you to think well on life and the greatness of God.

http://vimeo.com/10959675

May we pray well for Matt's healing, for the Village Church, and those who will be saved because of his testimony. Love you guys!

LOVE GOD LOVE PEOPLE
BG

Thoughts from Hebrews

Today I want us to look to the end of Chapter 10 and gain some encouragement from the writer for the situations that we may be facing in our lives today, that today you may walk in a renewed hope in your Savior:

"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, 'Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.' BUT we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their soul."
hebrews 10:35-38

I think that this passage, and all of Chapter 10 in fact, is wrapped up by James Montgomery Boice; "Victories in such sufferings are eternal in the same way that the victory of our Lord upon the cross is eternal. Our sufferings endure for a moment, but they achieve an eternal victory. They point to the truth and grace of God forever. I am convinced that in the farthest reaches of heaven, in what we would call billions of years from now, there will be angels who will look on everyone who has been redeemed by Jesus Christ and thrust into spiritual warfare by Him, and they will say; 'Look, there is another of God's saints, on who triumphed over evil by the Lord's power!!' Revelation 12:11-12 describes how they will exclaim of our great victories over Satan: 'They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!!' In achieving those eternal victories, we who love the Lord Jesus Christ will have indeed been more than conquerors."

Today may you endure, may you joyfully enter the world and speak and sing and dance for the goodness of God in your lives, trusting that He will work for good, whether here or in eternity, all for those that Love Him. May our faith be increased today and may we find ourselves set ablaze by the promises of Christ.

LOVE GOD LOVE PEOPLE

Thoughts from John Calvin

There are very few men who were more God-centered in their thinking on life, salvation, regeneration then John Calvin. He is a hero of mine, not because of his doctrine, or the church that he led, though both have had tremendous influence on my own ministry, but rather it is his thoughts on God that cause me to have deep admiration for this pastor. The level that Calvin thought at and then lived out is a testimony to a life that was wrapped up in the glory of God going forth.

For Calvin, his life was marked by making much of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a says, "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price." In response to this Calvin writes:

"If we are not our own, but the Lord's, it is plain what error we must flee, and to what purpose all our deeds must be directed. We are not our own, therefore neither our reason nor our will should guide us in our thoughts and actions. We are not our own, therefore we should not seek what is expedient to the flesh. We are not our own, therefore let us forget ourselves and our own interests as far as possible. But we are God's own, to Him, therefore, let us live and die. We are God's own; therefore let His wisdom and will dominate all our actions. We are God's own; therefore let every part of our existence be directed toward Him as our only legitimate goal."

I pray that you would take hope and encouragement from this, we are God's own, He bought us with a price, and we are called to live for Him. Meditate this week on Romans 12:1-2, how does your life look like this? Let it stir your affections for God to a new depth and a renewed desire to see Him glorified in all you say and do.

LOVE GOD LOVE PEOPLE

The Essence of Fellowship

In my personal study time I have been in Hebrews and I have had an abrupt stop in chapter 10, especially verses 23-25, it has caused me to think deeply on what the church is and is not.

V.23-25-"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit or some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

The writer is telling us here is how you grow, here is how you continue to mature in your faith and press into Jesus, you do it together, you do it with other believers. This is the essence of what fellowship is, it is more than meeting for coffee, or sharing a laugh, but identifying with people where they are and then encouraging them in their walk with Jesus and allowing others to do the same for you. This is what we desire our church to be, a place where this is not something we do but rather who we are.

Common misconception in the American church today is that if I put in my time of Sunday's then I get all I need, the problem with that is the Bible. While Sunday morning attendance is valuable and for many the first step in the right direction, we are called to much more, we are called to be a part of a body. We are called to sow into others lives and allow ourselves to be sown into. The body of Christ is men and women who have covenanted together to do life together. It is men and women that are vulnerable with each other and honest, in order that the world may see through us the light of the Gospel.

My question today is are you apart of a body, are there people in your life that you are pouring into, and are you allowing people to pour into your life and encourage you when you are down or listen when you have a question?

This is the essence of fellowship, may we be this church.

LOVE GOD LOVE PEOPLE

Good Friday

Today is simple, may we look deeply at the Cross, may it engage our hearts and our minds and may we today be quickly reminded to praise the Lord and give thanks for what happened here. Meditate on this with me today:

"And they brought Him to the place called Golgotha. And they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take is. And they crucified Him and divided His garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified Him. And the inscription of the charge against Him read, 'The Kind of the Jews.' And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left. And those who passed by derided Him, wagging their heads, and saying, 'Aha!! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross.'

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'ELOI, ELOI, LEMA SABACHTHANI?' Which means, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' And some of the bystanders hearing it said, 'Behold, He is calling Elijah.' And ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, 'Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.' And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing Him say that in this way He breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this man was the Son of God!!!'"

I pray that you have a wonderful Good Friday.

LOVE GOD LOVE PEOPLE