Several years ago a new breed of horses was tested in Canada. Researchers found that one horse could pull an eight-ton load. When they teamed two horses together they anticipated that the horses would pull 16 or 18 tons. To their surprise they pulled a 30-ton load.
This is the principle of synergism. Synergism states that two or more objects working together can produce a greater effect than the objects working independently of each other. This is why the church is important and it’s important that you be connected with a church. Each of us multiplies our strength, abilities, and talents when we “get harnessed” with a local church to serve the Kingdom of God.
Being a Christian is not just about getting oneself to heaven. It’s about getting others there as well. Alone we can only do so much. Alone what one can give financially can accomplish limited good, but when we come together and pool our resources a church can make a big impact. Then when churches link arms in a fellowship of churches that impact is multiplied again.
It is the power of agreement.
Matthew 18:19 (NIV) "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 18:20 (NIV) “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV) “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday on the church calendar. The day we celebrate the birth of the New Testament church. There was a key to everything that happened that day. Something created a synergism that day that caused incredible things to happen. Notice the words of Acts. 2.
Acts 2:1 (NIV) “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”
“Together in one place.” The spiritual synergism that was created that day released supernatural power. Two key elements are here. Sometimes people say things like, “We’ll be with you in spirit.” That’s the “together” of Acts 2:1, but the other aspect is “in one place.” Others will be in the same place but their spirits, their thoughts, their mind is somewhere else. Bodily in the same room, but, as my mom used to say, “Their mind is in Georgia.”
Sunday worship is more than a weekly ritual we observe with Sunday being the Christian sabbath. It is an opportunity for us to gather together in one place and thereby release the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit among us causing miraculous things to happen.
If you consider LIFEchurch your church family, or If you are in the area of LIFEchurch and not already faithfully connected to a Bible believing, Great Commission church come this Sunday and worship with us. Let’s see what can happen on Pentecost Sunday (or any Sunday for that matter) when we all come “together in one place.” In the “Extreme Makeover...God Edition...Master Planned Living” message series this week I will be teaching “Living the Empowered Life.”
We’d love to see you at LIFEchurch, but be sure and connect with genuine believers somewhere and expect the supernatural as you agree with other believers.
But this works on Monday and Tuesday and every other day of the week too. Find a friend at work that you can agree with. A neighbor in the neighborhood to agree with. Families in agreement are powerful. Just don’t try to go it alone. We need each other.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the power of the Holy Spirit released in the Church on that Pentecost some two thousand years ago. I know that power is still available today, and I desire to have it working in my life. Give me spiritual connections in my life so that I do not stand alone, but multiply my strength with that of others in do Your work. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Will of God
Knowing God’s perfect will for our lives may be the most difficult challenge we will take on in life. But following God’s will is not always equivalent to knowing His will (at least not knowing all the details). Let that sink into your heart for a moment.
Often we dig in and wait for God to lay out the plan in detail before us before we are willing to take a step. It is not stubbornness that causes us to do this, but simply that we feel so much more secure if we have all the details, every turn, every stop along the way, every road laid out before us. We live in the day of job descriptions. We don’t want to take a job without having a detailed description of what is expected of us then we proceed to do the job according to the description (and please don’t ask me to do anything else).
As I read in the Bible I see that there are many more examples of following God’s will without knowing every detail than there are examples of having every detail laid out in advance.
Abraham followed God’s directions without knowing what the destination was. God simply said, “When you get there I will tell you.
Hannah waited for God’s perfect timing without knowing when.
Mary expected a miracle without knowing how.
Joseph trusted God’s purpose without knowing why circumstances happened the way they did.
Most often when we ask God for His will He tells us, “For today go here or there, do this or that then tomorrow I’ll give you more.” I have written on more than a few graduation cards and gift books Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” It didn’t say He would immediately give the ultimate destination; just a path at a time.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, show me today what I should do to please and honor You, and take me one step, one day closer to the ultimate destination of Your will for me. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Often we dig in and wait for God to lay out the plan in detail before us before we are willing to take a step. It is not stubbornness that causes us to do this, but simply that we feel so much more secure if we have all the details, every turn, every stop along the way, every road laid out before us. We live in the day of job descriptions. We don’t want to take a job without having a detailed description of what is expected of us then we proceed to do the job according to the description (and please don’t ask me to do anything else).
As I read in the Bible I see that there are many more examples of following God’s will without knowing every detail than there are examples of having every detail laid out in advance.
Abraham followed God’s directions without knowing what the destination was. God simply said, “When you get there I will tell you.
Hannah waited for God’s perfect timing without knowing when.
Mary expected a miracle without knowing how.
Joseph trusted God’s purpose without knowing why circumstances happened the way they did.
Most often when we ask God for His will He tells us, “For today go here or there, do this or that then tomorrow I’ll give you more.” I have written on more than a few graduation cards and gift books Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” It didn’t say He would immediately give the ultimate destination; just a path at a time.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, show me today what I should do to please and honor You, and take me one step, one day closer to the ultimate destination of Your will for me. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
When are You Too Old?
What is the age that you are too old to realize your dreams? If you haven’t accomplished your goals or reached your dreams by ???? it too late? How would you fill in the age blank? Well, let’s see there was Moses that was 80 when God called him to lead Israel out of Egypt. God spent eighty years getting him ready for forty years of service. Abraham was 75 when he made the biggest change of his life pulling up stakes and starting on a journey not knowing the destination, but just day by day listening to God’s voice to let him know when he’d arrived. He was 100 when Isaac was born. Isaac was the son of promise the son of his dreams.
Today we hear people as young as their 50s, 40s, sometimes even their 30s filled with regrets that they didn’t do this or that or accomplish this dream or that goal. Our country’s custom of retirement has limited our mental ability to dream until we lay down and die. How old is too old? When is it no longer possible to accomplish the things we have set out to do? Some of you are saying, “All the examples you gave are thousands of years ago. Find me one today.” Okay, here’s one from today. Let me tell you about Mae Laborde. She’s appeared on a recent episode of MADtv playing Vanna White (of Wheel of Fortune fame) forty years in the future. You may have seen her in commercials for Lexus or Chase Bank or as a cheerleader on ESPN. She’s 97 years old, and she’s one of the hottest properties in Hollywood today.
No, it’s not unusual to be nearing 100-years-old and be popular in Hollywood. Bob Hope, George Burns and Gloria Stuart are just a few who can lay claim to that. But what makes Mae more than just a little special is she’s only been acting for four years —— she didn’t get her Screen Actor’s Guild card until she was 93! Thank you Mae for proving once again it’s never too late to live your dream!
I knew a missionary couple who served several decades as missionaries in remote parts of the world. They retired and after they came home, attended college to finish their degrees in their 80s. When is it too late to realize your dreams?
I heard somewhere that dreaming in your sleep is necessary to live. I don’t know for sure about that one, but I do know that Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” The proverb writer is simply saying, “When you stop dreaming, you stop living.” So how old is too old to dream and realize your dreams? Your too old to live when you think your too old too dream. We are in control of that moment in our lives. Ever notice how many people reach retirement age and soon die? It’s because they stop dreaming.
God never stops dreaming for you. He has a plan, a dream for you (Jeremiah 29:11) so embrace it, whatever your age, and dream on. But don’t just live in a world of dreams, but let your dreams begin to live. I spoke at a memorial service last Saturday. I talked about Four Things I Know. The first of the four is that Death is everyone’s Destiny. Hebrews 9:27 (NIV) reminds us that “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” But we don’t have to stop living before we die.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of life. Help me to live everyday to the full, bringing honor and glory to Your name. You said in John 10:10 that You came to bring us life and life to the full. I want to fulfill Your dream for my life. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Today we hear people as young as their 50s, 40s, sometimes even their 30s filled with regrets that they didn’t do this or that or accomplish this dream or that goal. Our country’s custom of retirement has limited our mental ability to dream until we lay down and die. How old is too old? When is it no longer possible to accomplish the things we have set out to do? Some of you are saying, “All the examples you gave are thousands of years ago. Find me one today.” Okay, here’s one from today. Let me tell you about Mae Laborde. She’s appeared on a recent episode of MADtv playing Vanna White (of Wheel of Fortune fame) forty years in the future. You may have seen her in commercials for Lexus or Chase Bank or as a cheerleader on ESPN. She’s 97 years old, and she’s one of the hottest properties in Hollywood today.
No, it’s not unusual to be nearing 100-years-old and be popular in Hollywood. Bob Hope, George Burns and Gloria Stuart are just a few who can lay claim to that. But what makes Mae more than just a little special is she’s only been acting for four years —— she didn’t get her Screen Actor’s Guild card until she was 93! Thank you Mae for proving once again it’s never too late to live your dream!
I knew a missionary couple who served several decades as missionaries in remote parts of the world. They retired and after they came home, attended college to finish their degrees in their 80s. When is it too late to realize your dreams?
I heard somewhere that dreaming in your sleep is necessary to live. I don’t know for sure about that one, but I do know that Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” The proverb writer is simply saying, “When you stop dreaming, you stop living.” So how old is too old to dream and realize your dreams? Your too old to live when you think your too old too dream. We are in control of that moment in our lives. Ever notice how many people reach retirement age and soon die? It’s because they stop dreaming.
God never stops dreaming for you. He has a plan, a dream for you (Jeremiah 29:11) so embrace it, whatever your age, and dream on. But don’t just live in a world of dreams, but let your dreams begin to live. I spoke at a memorial service last Saturday. I talked about Four Things I Know. The first of the four is that Death is everyone’s Destiny. Hebrews 9:27 (NIV) reminds us that “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” But we don’t have to stop living before we die.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of life. Help me to live everyday to the full, bringing honor and glory to Your name. You said in John 10:10 that You came to bring us life and life to the full. I want to fulfill Your dream for my life. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
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