Submission Archives -

“A Gift Too Precious”

Have you ever been given a gift so precious, it was too precious? “Oh, I can’t accept this. It’s too expensive….” you barely audibly whisper overcome with a deep sense of unworthiness. “No, really I insist,” comes the giver’s overruling objection. I have and really to share Holy moments often soils them, but to give the general gist of the moment, I was in a store when the owner sense a need in my life, and offered me one of his wares—very expensive I might add. “Choose any one of these…,” he insisted. I was so overcome with a sense of emotion, I could barely move, let alone choose…. But I did.

Perhaps this is how you felt when you first encountered the Lord’s grace. “I forgive you all your sins and have seated you in the heavenlies.” “What? Me? Really? No?” we stammer. But it’s true. His Grace overwhelms us. We sense the reality of our unworthiness, the injustice of this forgiveness, and the surface of the depth of this Grace of our salvation.

But as time has distanced us from this moment, have we lost the sense of the Grace too precious to receive—and yet we still receive it? And with a gift this precious, do we not put it in an equally precious place, guarding it with our very lives? What are your thoughts?

Main Text: — Acts 15:10–11 (NIV84)— ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.

Additional Scriptures to Renew Your Thoughts

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.— Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV84)

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.— Titus 3:5–7 (NIV84)

And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.— 1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV84)

Heavenly Father, what words can capture the glory of Your Grace. You have lavishly poured it out upon me. I embrace Your Son, my Lord Jesus. Continue to capture me with Your Love. In His Name, Amen.

Pastor Mike

“The Need to Not Stop Praying”

How long has it been? You’ve been praying for that special loved one: five, ten, 15 years? Or maybe you’ve been praying for your finances—it’s been months and still no turn around? Whatever you’ve been praying for—be it intensely personal or deeply spiritual, to me, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 coaches me: “Don’t give up on Prayer”

I hear Coach Paul, the Apostle, encouraging the church at Thessalonica: Do not stop praying, but instead “Pray without ceasing!”

I know even I myself have taken this verse to mean, “constantly live in a state of prayer.” As a matter of fact, I was just talking to someone a few days ago about this, but the more I thought about this verse (and this is not to say, being in a constant state of prayer is bad) the more I wondered: is it possible that this verse truly means: Don’t give up on prayer?

I’ve been there and maybe you’ve been there, too, that place where we feel our prayers are hitting a bronze sky and all we hear is the echo of our heart’s cry…

Coach Paul knows this. Remember, when he deeply desired to get rid of this nasty thorn in the flesh (see 2 Cor. 12:7-10), and he prayed three times for it to be so. Now, I’m sure these three times were not back to back, like minutes apart. No, but it could have been weeks or months: “Ah, Lord, I know You hear me. You usually answer my prayers pretty quickly, but, ah, what’s going on…?” Then after the third deeply intense prayer time, the release and the Word came: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9 NIV84)

Brothers and sisters, I know I need to hear this Word today: “Pray without ceasing:” Do you? Do you and I need to hear: Don’t give up on the Lord and praying to Him? Pray unceasingly–with unflagging resolve! Don’t stop praying. Pray when the need is great and pray when the praise is great! Pray! Pray! Pray!

Or as the acronym suggests: P.U.S.H.—Pray Until Something Happens. If we stop praying, will it happen anyway? I find this a very good question indeed. What do you think? Your thoughts?

Main Text: — 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV)—pray without ceasing.

Additional Scriptures to Renew Your Thoughts

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.— Luke 6:12 (NIV84)

Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.— 1 Thessalonians 3:10 (NIV84)

But [Hannah’s] rival wife taunted her cruelly, rubbing it in and never letting her forget that God had not given her children. This went on year after year. Every time she went to the sanctuary of God she could expect to be taunted. Hannah was reduced to tears and had no appetite.— 1 Samuel 1:6–7 (The Message)

Heavenly Father, in Your Mercy and Grace forgive me for giving up on prayer. Deep down I know You hear me, but I have grown weary of praying. Rekindle a passion for You as I quietly sit here in Your presence. I wait for Your Word of Grace and the Release of Hope…. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Pastor Mike

“Rethinking Our Culture”

Very few of us seem to inventory how much we are like the world’s culture. Somehow we have baptized the current culture we are in as ‘sacrosanct’—as if in some way we have captured the Kingdom of Heaven’s culture. …

As we enter Day 6 in this month of corporate fasting coupled with our Solemn Assembly and Heartwork, we are encouraged in the Heartwork Devotion for today to “Unlearn Our Culture.” The way I see it before I am able to learn something new, I need to unlearn something “old.” And before I can unlearn something “old,” I need to identify the old as out of sync with the Word and Jesus’ Heavenly Culture—no matter how much I have baptized it or relabeled it or PC’ed it, eh?

This rethinking actually requires that I stop and think. Ouch! Then I ask the Lord Jesus Christ to reveal to me by His Spirit those ‘things’ (such as, habits, thoughts, attitudes, passions, etc.) that are displeasing to Him. We may be surprised to learn that some of these “things” may be rather “good” things. But because I have been infected by the culture around me, I have made them an ‘idol’ or have engaged ‘them’ in my own strength. In this way I have tarnished a ‘good’ thing….

But, we may also find that we have been deceived or even deceived ourselves into thinking that this habit, thought, attitude, passion, etc. is, in fact, justified, warranted, and simply Okay. “I have a right to….” You can finish this sentence. But as the Light of His Word and Holiness concussion us, we are first blinded to the Truth of our deception, maybe even to the point of being defensive. But once our spiritual eyes begin to adjust to the Holy Light, we see clearly the distinction between Truth and Deceit.

This can definitely lead us to a ruining, a wrecking, an emptying, an undone state of life. Some times I fall into verbal self-flagellation where I bemoan the fact that I have been so naive, so stupid, to have been deceived so. Once I snap out of this, I am able to thank the Lord Jesus for being merciful to me to end this deception. Here then begins the transforming process of unlearning the culture! And it all started by rethinking…. Are you courageous enough to join me. I wasn’t—not at first, and without the Lord Jesus being my courage, I would not have gotten this far. How about you?

Your thoughts?

Main Text: — Romans 12:2 (NIV84)— Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Additional Scriptures to Renew Your Thoughts

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you— Romans 12:2 (The Message)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.— James 1:22 (NIV84)

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. — 1 Peter 4:3–4 (NIV84)

Heavenly Father, strengthen my feeble arms and weak knees. Empower me by the Lord Jesus Christ’s Presence thorough His Holy Spirit to reject those cultural ‘bad’ habits, attitudes, thoughts, & _____. Lord Jesus Christ, be my courage as I turn from these ‘things’ that so displease You and pursue You along with those who call upon You out of a pure heart. In Your Love and Great Mercy, Amen.

Pastor Mike

“Praising in the Winters of Life”

Date: 12-12-14

Text: — Luke 1:46-50 — ⁴⁶“My soul exalts the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. ⁴⁸ For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. ⁴⁹ For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. ⁵⁰And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him.” [NASB95]

The Big Idea: Mary is rejoicing in spite of the winter that she is about to experience.

My Thoughts:

Though many of us love to sing in the shower or the car, we would be terribly embarrassed if others could hear us. You can take comfort from Mary praise captured in the above verses. She bursts out in praise weaving a tapestry of Psalms. But instead of singing them, she speaks them from a heart overflowing and overwhelmed by the Lord’s mercy.

Lifestyle worshipers, do you see the irony in all this? She is rejoicing in spite of the winter that she is about to experience. How can she do this? She understood what Hannah Smith wrote to a dear friend in 1883: “Don’t you feel glad that you gave it all up to the Lord before hearing those assuring words from the Doctor? I hope it will teach you a lesson you will never forget, and that you will never again permit yourself to be anxious and worried over any possible evils. I would feel I had committed a positive sin if I would do it; and I want you to feel the same.” These women understood the goodness of our Lord. No matter what winter they may be facing, He is merciful, kind and good.

How’s your singing going in your winter? Or at least speaking His praise? I’ve had to check my Whine-O-Meter a few times. Have you? Your thoughts?

Scriptures to Renew Your Thoughts

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. … For the word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.

— Psalm 33:1, 4 (NIV84)

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

— Psalm 107:8, 9 (NIV84)

My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of Your praises all day long.

— Psalm 35:28 (NIV84)

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit: I praise You for Your Faithful Goodness during my winter. Evaporate my anxieties. Overwhelm my fears. You are Good all the time no matter how long, cold and dark this winter may be. Christmas is coming! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Pastor Mike

“What does it mean to Submit to God?”

Date: 11-08-14

Text: — James 4:7-10 — ⁷Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. [NIV84]

The Big Idea: Our God deeply desires for us to follow what He has commanded because He Loves us.

My Thoughts:

We sing, “He is Lord;” we often speak of His lordship over us, but what does it mean to submit to our Lord? Our God? James makes it clear using a military term in an urgent form in v. 7 “Submit”: “Fall in line; obey His orders.” But we cringe to think that the Holy One would do this…. But again, the Holy Spirit prompted James to use just the right word and form which necessarily implies: “willfully fall it line; choose to obey His orders.”

Do you find it as interesting as I do, Lifestyle worshipers, that James uses the word “God” and not “Lord”? I do. I think it further reinforces this free chose to submit. Our God does not demand we grovel at His feet, constantly begging for mercy. (Boy, I sure need to hear this!) No, rather our God deeply desires for us to follow Him, doing what He has commanded because He Loves us, knowing that it will go well with us and for us.

But what does it mean to submit to God? To me, it first means being available to hear from Him through prayer and His Word. In order to be available, I must make time to do this. Sometimes this requires carving out a moment here or there to read His Word, and particularly in my case, beyond sermon and Bible lesson preparation, but rather merely for my own personal edification.

How about your thoughts on what it means to “Submit to God?” Care to share?

Scriptures to Renew Your Thoughts

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

— John 8:31-32 (NIV84 emphasis added)

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

—1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV84)

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

—Psalm 63:1 (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, as I humbly submit to You, I ask the Lord Jesus Christ to empower me through Your Holy Spirit to make time to listen to You both at a special time and throughout the day. Lord Jesus Christ, through Your power and by Your shed blood, I confess that I have not made a diligent effort to meet with You. I have sinned grievously against You. I ask You, Lord Jesus Christ, to bear the consequences of my actions. Remove the pain and shame I have caused Your Name. Be that part of my life that has been disobedient to You. I release myself into Your hands. In Your Name, Amen.

Pastor Mike