Thursday, Aug 28, 2008

TWG - August 28, 2008

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TWG - August 28, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Numbers 4:1-33; Psalm 78:1-37; Galatians 3

Today is August 28, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day

It was a bit of different day again yesterday. I spent most of the day working to prepare the new building for our Awana orientation. I hung our big screen from the ceiling. That took some time and effort. Jeannie came in and we went over the church directory. It’s looking good! Bill was there working on the handicapped parking. Marcia and Jessie stopped in to work on Sunday School stuff. Marta has way too much energy. She ran around and around the Awana circle. Carl, Sonja and Helen were there canning. I began moving chairs around and rearranging the room. I finally got it pretty much the way I want it… not quite but close! Then I ordered concrete for Friday. I put a picture of Team Don and Jayn on the Blog at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com. They are changing tires at the Race track. Check it out.

This week’s theme verse is Hebrews 13:1-3 Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them— and those who are mistreated— as if you yourselves were suffering.

I got out of “the big house” a year ago. That’s right I was in the State Pen for two days… just visiting. Their cells were small, clean and simple. “The Yard” had a basketball court, soccer and baseball field and weights. There were lines painted on the asphalt that said, “off limits” (the guys in the towers with sunglasses on had real guns). It was a concrete and steel jungle. I went with a team of other Christians who were there for one reason, and one reason only… to love those prisoners to Christ. And we literally saw dozens place their faith and trust in the Savior during that time. We are supposed to remember the prisoners as if chained with them! That’s pretty graphic language. God wants us to sympathize with the plight of prisoners. I have noticed that most of us are irate at the injustice of our system. Sometimes criminals that should be punished are let go, and that doesn’t sit well with us. But there are many on the inside who are lonely, fearful and have no friends and family and they don’t know Christ. That’s what got them there in the first place. Christian values demand that we look beyond the crime to our mission: to give every person on the planet an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel; including infamous criminals. But I think this statement has another application as well. It underlines the plight of the persecuted church. While we are free and unmolested, thousands of believers in countries all around the world are imprisoned for their faith. For example, Pastor “Bike,” known for traveling across China on his bicycle to evangelize was thrown into jail on the eve of the Olympics. And he is but one of thousands! There is serious persecution in India, Iran, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Algieria, Burma and the list goes on and on. Every day Christians are being unjustly imprisoned for their faith, others are brutally beaten, shot at, stabbed, burned out of their houses and pelted with rocks. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are on the front lines and they need our prayers. They are faithful to the Savior, and many have nothing left, even their health has been taken from them. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them. Pray intelligently. I suggest that you check out www.persecution.com regularly to see what is going on with your Christian family. It will make you appreciate your freedoms, and stimulate you to become more passionate about winning your world to Christ before the world turns on us! When that happens, we will want them to remember because the tables may well be turned and we may be behind bars for our faith.

Dear Lord Jesus, I remember that you were treated unjustly. Help me to remember those in chains in my prayers. I do pray that the persecuted church around the world would experience peace and be able to share their faith effectively. And when opportunity arises, help me to love criminals to Christ because You are the answer!

Come unto me all you who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give you rest.

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:20 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008

TWG - August 27, 2008

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TWG - August 27, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Numbers 3; Psalm 77; Galatians 2

Today is August 27, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. You are part of a devotional community where we put Christ first and our commitment is to spend time with each other and Time with God every day.

The church was a hub of busyness yesterday. Bill was out in the parking lot getting the slab ready to pour. Phil Teel stopped in with the clips he made for the projector screen. Jayn was there watering. Carl was there working on computers. Sonja, Helen, Rochelle, Marcia, Holly, Jayn and who knows who else came to can beans and apples. I put our new garden cart together for transporting the sound system. It works great. I posted a new radio podcast to the internet… check it out. And I worked a bit on Awana. After work I got beat in a few sets of tennis with Phil. Then it was off to men’s meeting where Carl & I fixed Rochelle’s computer. I put a picture of Carl working on the AWANA circle on the Blog at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com. Check it out.

This week’s theme verse is Hebrews 13:1-3 Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them— and those who are mistreated— as if you yourselves were suffering.

Ever entertained an angel? When I was dating, I thought my girlfriend (wife now) was one! And she is a bit angelic, having to put up with me and all my antics, but that’s not exactly what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a genuine, honest to goodness, authentic supernatural being from God’s great heaven. What an angel would be doing in my dining room, I don’t know. And how I would recognize him or her as an angel, I don’t know. “Hi, my name is Gabe (short for Gabriel) and I’m an angel. I was just in the neighborhood looking for a snack when I smelled your good home cookin’! Mind if I join you for dinner before I fly off and do cosmic battle with Satan and his hosts for the domination of the world?” “Right. The Rescue Mission is right around the corner. Beat it!” Not so fast! Hospitality is so important to the Kingdom of God that God sometimes rewards us with angels. That’s what the verse implies. The words “entertain strangers” are really one word in the Greek language meaning “hospitality” or literally “a lover of strangers.” A friend of mine, Jim, loves to paraphrase the great commission to read, “Go make friends for Jesus.” Being a lover of strangers is one of the most effective ways to win the world to Christ, one stranger at a time. And if you really love strangers, you’ll want to meet them, get to know them and become friends with them. That’s what hospitality is all about: Treating strangers with honor and making them feel at home; Regularly inviting guests to my home in order to love on them so they want the love of God. And that is what hospitality is all about. The word “hospitality” has a wide range of uses: “The hospitality industry” is a broad variety of services including hotels, food service, entertainment, and tourism. From the word hospitable, we get hospital, hospice and hostile (a place to bunk – I’ve stayed in one!). God wants your home to become a place of laughter, entertainment, tourism, overnight stays, and even a place of healing and spiritual health care. How does that happen? It begins with a commitment to be intentional about the use of our home. We choose to dedicate our place back to God. Then we determine to use whatever resources God has given us in ministering to strangers. One of the easiest ways to get started is to invite a few families, couples or singles from the church to our house for a BBQ along with some stranger who happened to show up at the Sunday Morning Meeting. What a great way to fill the house with laughter, friendship and joy. And who knows, one of those strangers might turn out to be an angel with a message from God, “Thanks for building my kingdom with your faithfulness to strangers!”

Dear Father. I want to show others the love you have shown me. I want to be a lover of strangers. Today I choose to be intentional about hospitality. I dedicate my home and all my belongings to you to be used in your service. I will begin to regularly take opportunities to entertain the brothers and strangers in my home!

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, To comfort all who mourn, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, and The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:59 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008

TWG - August 26, 2008

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TWG - August 26, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Numbers 2; Psalm 76; Galatians 1

Today is August 26, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. This is your invitation to take one step forward every day in your relationship with Christ. We invite you to do something unbelievably radical. We invite you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus

Susan has been sick. I took her to Urgent Care yesterday. It turns out she has a viral severe cold. She was hurting. After clearing up her nasal passages, she began to feel much better. We had to cancel Shaphen’s birthday party because of it. To bad, so sad. I ran to a few odd jobs on the rentals and spent some time talking to the renters. Then it was out to church where I checked on the progress of the AWANA circle that Carl, Phil and Mike were putting down. I helped them finish. Bill was there getting the forms ready to finish pouring the handicapped parking spaces. Carl, Melissa and Sonja were canning. After I finally got home I spent an hour in the basement moving furniture to make way for new computer desk. I put a picture of the guys working on the AWANA circle on the Blog at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com. Check it out.

This week’s theme verse is Hebrews 13:1-3 Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them— and those who are mistreated— as if you yourselves were suffering.

Let brotherly love continue. Love for our fellow Christian is one of the most important missions in life. Jesus gave us two primary commandments: Love the Lord with all your heart and Love your neighbor as yourself. The second commandment: Love your neighbor can be easily broken into two categories… #1 Love your brothers, #2 Love all men. Galatians 6:10 explains how that love looks in action, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” There are two distinct categories we are to target with our love. And one of them is supposed to receive our special attention: “The Brothers and Sisters." Why? Because this is the way we demonstrate to the world that we are Christ’s disciples… if we have love for one another (John 13:35). Jesus commanded us to love one another several times. “This is my commandment that you love one another!” (John 13:34, 15:17). Interesting. Love is our duty. How does that work anyway? It reminds me of my own child rearing encounters. When my children were young, it was a bit easier to get them to love one another. If they had a spat, I’d tell them, “Say you are sorry to your brother,” “sorry,” they would say, and that solved the world’s problems for the day! Way to go! But as they got older and their fights became more intense, sometimes it was difficult to get the same response. “Say you are sorry.” “But he hit me first!” or I’d get the sulking, “SORRY!” But somehow the attitude didn’t match the response. “Come on now! LOVE your brother! Give him a hug and make up!” And you’d see four wooden limbs sort of try to hug, but there was no love there! For some reason those limp arms just couldn’t be forced to have the warmth of a brotherly hug. Romans 12:9 astutely comments, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” If I have to love you out of duty, and I don’t want to, isn’t that hypocrisy? Hypocrisy is pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have. So I suppose the answer is “yes.” But sometimes it’s OK to be a hypocrite. If you feel like killing someone and you don’t do it, that’s good hypocrisy! If you feel like cussing someone out and you smile at them instead, that’s good hypocrisy! But somewhere along the way we need to leap over the line of maturity and decide that we want to love even the unlovable brothers because that’s how Jesus treated us. While we were yet enemies, he loved us and died for us! It isn’t about how loveable the brethren are, it’s about whether I fathom the depths of God’s love for me. We love the brethren because He loves us. We didn’t deserve it either. Honestly, there are a lot of Christians that are difficult to love. And that is precisely the point, “by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” Love the brothers!

Dear Jesus. I want to love as you loved. I know who I am, and I know that I am unlovable. I see my faults, my sins, my idiosyncrasies and realize that I am difficult to love. Most of all I see my sin and how it hurts you. Yet you love me with an everlasting love. I want that kind of love for my forever family!

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:55 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

Saturday, Aug 23, 2008

TWG - August 23, 2008

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TWG - August 23, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Numbers 1:20-54; 1 Peter 5

Today is August 23, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a covenant to seek the LORD God with all our heart and with all our soul. If you seek Him, He will be found by you.

I didn’t quite get things wrapped up yesterday as I should have. I began well. I got the bulletin done. Ken came in with some memory and we upgraded the Sunday School computer as well as the Secretary’s computer. I ran to Lowes and Handyman hardware to pick up some parts to hang the new video screen. I had to spend a little time on the phone with Citi because someone somehow charged some items on our credit card. That was a concern. You can pray that that is an isolated issue and not related to some broader identity theft! After work I did music practice, and then it was off to Soccer Referee Training where we refereed a few games for Roseburg High. I put a picture of Marcia on the Blog at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com. She’s picking up the Awana mailing from me. Check it out.

This week’s theme verse is Hebrews 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, and hard to explain, since you are slow to learn. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to maturity"

Let us go on to maturity. What is keeping you from becoming mature? There are a few things required for maturity; growth, competence, “aging,” experience and discernment. These are on the positive side of the ledger. But there are some things on the negative side of the ledger that may impede your progress to the goal. Let’s just say you have started on your way to maturity. You understand what you need to do to grow. You feel the promptings of the Holy Spirit and make a decision to follow Jesus. That was on Sunday. The Church service touched your heart as it so often does and you are ready to take on the world. But the reality of Monday morning blues hits you. Before you know it you have taken a detour off the path. Those same old sins spring up out of the ground like a bad patch of thorn bushes threatening to choke your spirituality away. Anger, lust, greed, frustration, gossip… whatever your problems are, they are flaring up with a vengeance. So you give in and do those same old sins again. What effect does falling into those sins have on your maturity? Simple… they move you backwards. Even when you realize your error, repent and confess them to God, you don’t get to return to the same place on the monopoly board. If you moved three spaces backwards before realizing the error of your way, repentance won’t bring you forward those three spaces… it only turns you around and changes your direction in the way you should go. Now you’ve got some distance to make up! You’ve not only hurt God, you’ve hurt yourself. Keep on sinning and soon you’ll be slipping backwards into a black hole. It is impossible for even a heartfelt “sorry God” to make up the distance you have lost. Maturity requires some things that accompany salvation. In the place of those thorny sins, the fruit of the Spirit must grow. To move forward in a positive direction, we have to replace our anger with tenderness, our greed with contentment, our gossip with edification, our criticism with kindness, our lust with love for Jesus. These are the roadblocks to maturity that will curse your life instead of bless it. Beware of them! Deal with them. Move forward. The next throw of the dice may get you a surprise trip to “Go” where you can collect $200!

Dear Lord. I do confess my sins for they are many. I do not want to see them obstruct my way to maturity. When I am down, I will choose to turn from my sins and walk hand in hand with you. You are what life is all about and I want to love you with all my heart soul and mind. Take me by the hand and lead me to maturity I pray.

Trust in the LORD forever, For in the LORD, is everlasting strength

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 11:07 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

Friday, Aug 22, 2008

TWG - August 22, 2008

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TWG - August 22, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Leviticus 28:1-19; Psalm 76; 1 Peter 4

Today is August 22, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a complete turn of events; it is a 180 degree turn around. God is changing us and turning us around as a community. This is not business as usual, this is transforming, this is spiritual, this is essential.

Yesterday was a day of crisis. When it rains it pours. Problems don’t come in single soldiers, they come in whole battalions! I was working away on an AWANA mailing when a guy in our church came in to talk about the difficulties in his life. After about a half hour, another guy dropped by to say that he was thinking of moving out on his wife. I spent the next hour or two with them, and hooked them up with counselor Clay Tillman. I also have been trying to contact a gal who needs to talk to me about a compulsive gambling problem, and another couple I have been trying to set up counseling with! Woah! I finally finished the mailing and made some modifications on the web site to advertise our AWANA ministry. Then it was off to the DC racetrack for some practice laps in Don’s race car. That was a learning experience. I guess I will be racing with the big boys this Saturday! Now that is something to ponder. I put a picture of me during the Faster Pastor race on the Blog at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com. Check it out.

This week’s theme verse is Hebrews 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, and hard to explain, since you are slow to learn. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to maturity"

College was a challenge to my formative mind. I was not quite prepared for the culture shock of having to actually study to get good grades! I had sailed though my last two years of high school with high marks; nearly straight As! Quite a contrast to my lowly grade school experience! But I was unskilled and undisciplined at study. My sophomore year of college I dropped out in favor of marriage and then a few years later went back and finished my degree. Then, I was ready for it! I worked hard and got very good grades and graduated 2nd in my class! High school was like “Milk Toast” to me, but College was a different story… It took discipline and hard work to make it. Maturity is like that. There are several marks of maturity that you should strive to add to your life: 1) You teach others. 2) You are skilled in the Word. 3) You have “aged” 4) You practice your faith 5) You can discern good from evil. Aim for maturity. It is the only thing that makes sense. Immaturity is for people who don’t mind repeating the same stupid mistakes over and over! So let’s talk about what you have to do to get there. Teach Others. We already have noted that one important way to measure your maturity is whether or not you have graduated from learner to teacher. It’s everyman’s goal. Become Skilled in the Word. Skill is learned. Even those with natural talent have to perfect it. One of the best ways to develop a skill is to put it into practice and have others critique it. Yesterday I did practice laps on the race track. When I came in Don told me what I was doing wrong and how to correct it. Then I went out and did it again. Saturday I’ll put that advice to the test. Skill in the Word takes study, application and then we need a sounding board or a mentor to tell us how we are doing at it. Sometimes that’s a trial. But maturity demands that I understand the Manual! Third: Aging. There is no question that a new Christian can be “spiritual,” and that an old Christian can be “unspiritual.” But Maturity requires time. We must experience life’s trials and tribulations before we are of “full age.” How much time? Jesus spent three years with the disciples before he let them go. The Jews didn’t consider someone mature until they were 30. There is no magic number. It just takes time! That’s because we need to Practice our Faith. We have to “exercise our senses.” This is the idea of a “boot camp for the mind.” Exercise is vigorous, exhausting and stretching. In order to practice our faith, we have got to go through deep waters while trying to apply the truths we have learned. And the point of that exercise is so that you can discern good from evil. Sadly, some Christians are easy prey. We don’t know how to spot a fraud nor can we pick out the genuine article. How do you make good decisions? Experience. Where do you get experience? Bad decisions! And a steady application of God’s Word. In Olympic terms, “Go for the Gold.”

Dear Father. Thank you for the process that leads to maturity. Help me to constantly challenge myself to learn and grow so that I can be just like Jesus. Take me through the boot camp of Christian maturity so that I will gain the experiences needed to have my senses sharpened. I am ready to learn and grow.

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in the LORD, is everlasting strength

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:57 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT