Some will talk about Jesus but want you to follow them! Heresy is about self-promotion! Is Jesus at the center of our worship? Right worship should lead us to follow Jesus and not a personality. Some people want you to follow them and use Jesus to accomplish this. Some want to gather followers around themselves rather than lead people to be followers of Jesus! I am not cynical and do not see a devil behind every bush but let the Holy Spirit give you discernment to see deception even in a religious place! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Tag: pastor
Warning to Gays and Lesbians! Romans 1:24, 26, 27, 32
Dear Pastor Brady Boyd, Paul in verse 32 says that those who do those things are worthy of death! Verse 31 says without natural affection which to me would mean a man attracted to a woman. It is interesting in verse 24, God gave them up to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. We often look at God delivering us from sin but it looks like here God is keeping us from sin! God is not just the medicine to treat the sin but He delivers us from the disease of sin! You mentioned Sunday that some gays have an attraction for each other but never perform the physical act! Jesus said that if I look on a woman with lust it is the same as committing the physical act!. It says in verse 18 of Romans, chapter one, that ungodly men attempt to restrain the truth through unrighteousness! The sin of gays and lesbians appears to be against creation itself! Greed is a sin no doubt but I have a problem lumping them together for Paul did not say greed was worthy of death! We appreciate our questions being addressed by you and presenting your answers on Sunday! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Beautiful Princess!
A retired rancher in Colorado spent his last days fishing in his mountain stream that passed through his ranch. It was so peaceful and quiet that he fell asleep along the stream waiting for a fish to bite! Suddenly this loud voice woke him up but he could not see anyone? Is God talking to me? Pick me up said the loud voice? Pick me up! Pick me up! The rancher then noticed a small green frog along the shore line near him. The frog said, “If you pick me up and kiss me I will turn into a beautiful princess!” The rancher picked him up and put him in his pocket! The little green frog said, “You forgot to kiss me?” The rancher responded, “At my age I would rather have a talking frog!” Source; Pastor Greg Laurie.
The Good The Bad and The Ugly!
We were in a Methodist Church yesterday on Nevada Avenue here in Colorado Springs. We were looking into a ministry offered there. I like old churches since they have a lot of history behind them! They had a missions room where I really love to hang out! This church supports a church in Russia. They had photos of the church in Russia along with members from here who have gone there to help with the work. In one photo it shows the picture of the pastor from here with the Russian pastor shaking hands in the Russian church office. Really nice except for one thing? In between them hanging on the wall was a portrait of Lenin? Then I remembered the church in Russia is state run! In fact the Bishop of the Russian Orthodox church lives in the Kremlin with Putin! Where is Putin’s portrait in the church? I personally would make a dartboard out of their portrait’s and move their images to the church recreation room where the children could throw darts! We cannot change1500 years of church history in Russia but we can give them the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
The Theology of Work!
My name is Glenn Packiam. I Pastor the downtown New Life Church. Pastor Brady sometimes refers to us as the Parish! We refer Pastor Brady as the Bishop! We are a Parish of fathers, mothers, sons and daughters and the family is our core DNA. This morning we are going to talk about the Theology of Work. Work is not a dirty word or something to be avoided. God is still at work! Sometimes we can postpone our work for Him in preparation to work for Him! This will only lead to keeping God out of our work place! This is a problem I faced in Theology School. If our goal is to serve God only after we reach a position in Church Ministry then we will miss the boat! Do not postpone your work for Him! If you do you will become deficient for Him! What is work? Why work? Let us go to the foundation of work. We do not work just to pay our bills! In Genesis 1:26, we learn that we were created in the Image of God! This gives us a clue to our purpose. To be like God. God worked and created us to be like Him. In Genesis 2:8, God planted a Garden and put man into it. In verse 15, we see God placed Adam and Eve into it to work the Garden. Work was not the result of the fall! Work is God’s idea! God started work in Creation and continues to work! Jesus right now is interceding in prayer for the Saints! We are to work to reflect God’s Image! In the ancient Near East the King would erect statues of himself throughout his Kingdom. It would send a message to the people that he is like his Image! Our creator reminds us of His Creation and His Rule! God has designated responsibilities to us! Remember God gave Adam the duty to name the animals. God’s Creation is perfect but not completed! God is asking you to join Him in His work. God’s Dominion is not an oppressive Rule and desires that we work with Him. God is wise and designed a Loving order. Work is collaborating with God to cultivate His world! Remember that old hymn, “This is my Father’s World?” We do not just work to rest and work for bread! Heaven should not start on Friday night! I am not sure about that old song, “I will fly away!” God will one day descend upon the world to create a New Heaven and a New Earth but until then work! There will be work after that too! God did not give up on you and this world! God called His work good! Do we work to have a cosmic week-end? We are to collaborate with God and to see ourselves working with God in common purpose. Our vocation is to be called to the calling! We need to keep in mind our occupation in this context. We live out our vocation in our occupation. My father and mother were from India and they both worked hard! My father was a Hindu and my mother was a Christian. My father was a hotel manager in Malaysia and my mother a school teacher. My mother started a school. She taught us as she talked to us. Your vocation is your calling! You do not just work a job. The Gifting God has placed in your life is only developed through work! Work is a vehicle where God gets you where He wants you to be! Work is the opposite of welfare! Work gives dignity and purpose to man! My father-in-law is a farmer in Iowa. Jesus said the fields are white unto the Harvest but the workers are few! You are either going to exploit or cultivate the world! Work or fraud! Even a farmer has a Holy occupation! He treats his land with respect and honor! We have recently hired a painter for our house. He loves his job and takes the time to do a perfect job! The word time means, “To Honor!” When our time is over here have we honored Him? Holy work is not just church work. Work as unto the Lord! A bank manager I know quit his job because fraudulent things were being done by his company! Jeremiah 29:4-7. When Israel went into captivity in Babylon God told them to build houses, take wives for you will be there awhile! No rapture planning here! Figure out how to live here now! Verse 7 goes on to say we are to seek the peace of the city. Seek the welfare of others! Work is simply making someone’s else life better! The more numbers of people you help the greater your reward! This is true in business of any occupation. Pray over your boss and co-workers. Do not be deceived by social media that everyone else is doing better than you? Have a positive attitude towards work! Faith without works is dead! What was the vocation of Israel? Jesus our Messiah is the true Israel! He was sent to a strange place! His bread was to do the Father’s will. Our Father works even now! He finished His work on the Cross but our work is not finished yet! He is the God of the Garden! Today God is at work in you! The Holy Spirit is active in you! God has begun a new work in you! As we take communion this morning remember the bread and wine is from the Garden and the harvest of the earth. His Creation has a redemptive work in you! The Tree of Life is to know Christ and Him Crucified and to make Him known to others! To experience Him and the power of His Resurrection! Serve Him and others as He is serving you! Source; Pastor Glenn Packiam, Downtown New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message June 22, 2014
Academic Athletics
Nebraska University was ready for the big playoff to go to the Orange Bowl for the National Championship game! However their two best players BuBa and Tiny Tim were on academic probation! BuBa made 10 tackles every game and Tiny Tim was the fastest guy on the team with 3 touchdowns every game! The coach knew the team could not win without these two guys! So he went to the Academic Dean of the University and asked the Dean if he could give them a make-up exam with one simple question so they could get an “A” grade and average the score in with the rest of their grades? The Dean said he would do anything to help the team out! He called the players into his office and gave them the one question exam. He instructed them that this was the honor system and he was going to leave the office and they were not to help each other! So about ten minutes into the exam BuBa asked Tiny what the answer is to the question, “Old McDonald had a ________?” Tiny said the answer was “Farm.” BuBa says, “How do you spell farm?” Tiny says,”You big idiot, E-I-E-I-O!” Source; Pastor Greg Laurie
The Doctrine of Estrangement! 1 Peter 2:9
We are a peculiar people! Peculiar meaning we have reached a point or place in time where we have found purpose in God together! Notice not a peculiar person but people. People meaning a mass of humanity of all nations joined together in one purpose. We belong to a nation of people. We are a chosen people by God through Christ to minister and serve others. His church is a proclaiming community! We are organized to take care of others. As citizens of Heaven we seek the peace of the city we live in. Start a good work where you are. Bloom where you are planted. Seek to help the most vulnerable of our culture. Paul sought to free a slave. We are not to Lord over others in our family and community but demonstrate love in our marriage and family! Wives are to submit to their husband and the husband is to protect his wife. There is strength in kindness! If you have to be told you are a leader you are not! The way you are is the way you tell your story to the world. You proclaim what you are. Sin has and is causing estrangement in our world. The cultural wars of divorce, untraditional marriage, drugs, crime and corruption at all levels lead the way to estrangement in our nation! In the Book of Genesis we see creation of the world and man. Everything started out right but sin caused Adam and Eve to blame God and each other. Sin has caused us to run and hide from God and each other. It became finger pointing! She made me do it! The Devil made me do it! In Genesis chapter 11 we see the Tower of Babel where men wanted to make a name for themselves! Sound familiar? The unity here resulted in man wanting to build his own kingdom! Man has unified against God throughout history! God divided the languages and confused the people. This lead to tribalism, separation, violence and a fragmented society. So what was God’s solution? To send His Son Christ into the world! In Ephesians chapter 2 we see God putting to death separation and estrangement. He instituted the resurrected life! In Acts chapter 2 at Pentecost 120 people speaking different languages but understanding each other. One language became many and then many languages became one! Many people became a peculiar people. The Holy Spirit is joining together many people for one purpose! God reverses estrangement! Why are we a peculiar people? The church is a community within where the Holy Spirit reverses all previous estrangements! We are a eschatological community! God’s first intent consummates in the church! In Revelation chapter 5 and chapter 7 every nation and people group comes back together again! At the end of the day we win together! In Revelation chapter 21 we see no more death and a new Heaven and earth living in peace and joy. Heaven and earth become one just as we say in our Lord’s prayer! Two become one. If we know the end then we can make the right choices and do the right thing now! Start today. We are called to live and die for one another! If we as His church do the right thing today then Jesus will have little to do when He returns! The word, “Apocalypse” is used 18 times in the New Testament. To most of the world it means the end of the world. The word in the Greek translates; disclosure, revelation, enlightenment and manifestation. Romans 8:19— creation itself is groaning for redemption of the earth through storms, earthquakes and other events. The world is waiting for the Apocalyptical church and our Christ to return! We are a chosen people and a royal priesthood! As we take communion this morning do you feel estranged from God and others? Jesus paid the price on the Cross to bring us together. Jesus poured out His blood for you! In estrangement Cain slew Abel and his blood cried out from the ground for redemption! Murder is the last act of estrangement but Jesus laid down His life as a sacrifice on the Cross for you! The marriage supper of the Lamb is waiting for you and me as described in Revelation. The differences we have is removed by God in unity with Him! It is joyful in Heaven and not sorrowful! God is inviting you back to Heaven this morning! We cannot hold bitterness. We cannot drink the poison and expect others to die! We have through Christ the power to forgive! Come to His altar now and experience the ending of separation between you and God and man! Source: Pastor Daniel Grothe, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given on Sunday June 8, 2014.
Pastor’s Job Description
Frederick Buechner once wrote, “There are all kinds of pressures on the preacher to be all kinds of other things and speak all kinds of other words.” God has called me (and I would argue all preachers) to be ‘Good News Specialist’—a phrase my grandfather (Billy Graham) taught me while in seminary. The job description of a preacher, in other words, is not to say many different things but to say the same thing over and over again in many different ways. We have one main message to declare: ‘Christ and Him crucified’ (1 Corinthians 2:2). Source; Pastor Tullian Tchividjian, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Easter Message New Life Church 2014
Why should we be excited today? We came out early and dressed our best! Why? Our entire belief system is based on what happened on this day over 2000 years ago. A hundred people made a decision for Christ in our first service this morning! This morning hope is found in an empty tomb! This same resurrection power is available to you this morning! Christ crucified on Friday and an empty tomb this morning! In the Book of John we see all of Jesus disciples and friends abandoning Him during the Crucifixion and after! All abandoned Him except one. Remember Jesus cast 7 demons out of her! If anyone knew about His resurrection power it was Mary! Like on prom night she was up all night tripping over rocks in the dark trying to get to the tomb early in the morning! Mary wanted to see the face of Jesus one more time. The tomb was heavily guarded and sealed because rumors were that someone was going to try to steal His body! In spite of all the facts Mary found hope at the tomb! Do you have a hope beyond the grave? God has given you one! John 20:1-2. Early while it was still dark? Why was this greatest event in all of history staged on the first day of the week while it was still dark? This story began in another Garden! The Garden of Eden. Our sin ruined this Garden! We had it made but we messed up! Sound familiar? Is this the story of your life? Jesus is saying to you this morning you need a fresh start. Like a bankruptcy judge giving you a clean start! The first day of creation will start all over for you! The stone has been rolled away for you and me! Take off your grave clothes and put on His Light! Jesus told Peter, John and the other disciples where He would meet them after Calvary but they did not believe Him? Why would a demon infested and alleged prostitute with infirmities be the first to witness the resurrection? God loves losers! He makes them winners! Mary preceded the sleeping giants of the Church to make history! She awoke Peter, John and the rest with the news then Peter and John ran to the tomb! Paul says that we are in a race! You will win the gold but not a small token around your neck but walking on streets of gold! The prize is Christ! To be with Him forever! You are racing either towards your own tomb or His empty tomb! If you ever win a race it needs to be this one! They found the linen cloth and the face cloth neatly folded in the tomb. The Jewish tradition is the cloth is neatly folded at the meal table. At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb the linen cloth will be neatly folded just for you! Jesus said I must go to prepare a place for you! Reservations have been made for you! It says in verse 8 that the disciples saw the empty tomb and believed but not that He was raised from the dead? Jesus asked Mary at the tomb why she was crying? Do you still cry over loved ones and still believe they are in the tomb? Mary got down on Jesus and told Him not to mess with her and by the way where have you put his body? God has ordained this day for you whether young or old or rich or poor! Jesus knows your name just like He called His disciples by first names! He knew Mary’s name! He is a personal God! He is nearest those who are outcasts from the culture! He defeats culture with life! Peter fails a lot in this story! He seemed the smart one of the bunch. He had courage to walk on water and almost drowned! He confessed to Jesus he would never leave Him but denied Him three times before the rooster turned him in! He seemed bold but left Jesus in His darkest hour? Peter was full of shame, fear and doubt and seemed a coward! Peter ran to the tomb to say I am sorry. Then Peter went back to fishing. Failure often leads us to go back to a place in life where we had some success. Peter saw Jesus on the shore and jumped off his boat never to return to fishing! He began to fish for men! Peter do you love me? Jesus asked him this question 3 times maybe for each time he denied Christ? Feed my sheep Peter! Mary thought all hope was gone! They all viewed the Cross as a failure. The disciples saw His death as a failure. They viewed it as a dead end! Do you feel like an outcast? Do you feel ignored and forgotten this morning? Have people you trusted betrayed you? Have you betrayed people? Family? Do you feel like you have blown your opportunities? Do you feel like a big fake and a fraud? Peter felt this way! There is a reason why you are here today! Jesus was resurrected to bring dead people back to life! He did not come to turn bad people into good people. That is what religion tries to do! God does not try to fix the old man! He raises the old man from the dead! You must be, “Born Again!” You have a Great High Priest this morning that you can tell anything and everything and He will understand! He knows how you feel! You can start over and have a new life! Paul writes some 60 years later in 1 Corinthians 15: 20-22. Christ was the first fruits of them that slept! By one man Adam came death and by one man The Christ resurrected from the dead! All die but in Christ all are made alive! I was a 16 year old kid who abandoned all good and rebelled against all authority! My family thought I would do well in life but I proved them wrong! Then in August of 1988 I surrendered all my failures to Christ! I had come to the altar before but with wrong motives. When I learned He loved me everything changed! On that altar in 1988 I made the decision to follow Christ the rest of the days of my life! If you believe Him this morning and follow Him you will never be the same and will live each day with His Resurrection Power living in your life for the rest of your life here and forever! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sticks and Stones ! Mark 16:14
The year was 1986. We were living in Yercaud India in our second year of mission work in India. It was a challenge living on this mountain top in South India. Electricity was only on for about 2 hours per day! Scorpions, rats and snakes lived with us in our house! However it was a beautiful place with coffee estates and tropical fruit everywhere! It was truly a village with no gas station and animals roaming the streets. Our house was located on Lady’s Seat Road next to a convent. The slums were all around us with people living in huts with manure dried floors and grass roofs. There are good slums and bad slums so the locals warned us not to go to one particular slum and if you did you may not come out! There was plenty of other work there so we stayed away. One day we took the long way around the village back to our house from the village shops. I do not even remember why? The road went along side this forbidden slum but I thought we were safe in our vehicle. Well a dog ran out in front of our vehicle and got one of his feet under a tire. A mob of people surrounded our car from this village. They picked up rocks and brought bamboo poles from their huts. They swarmed over our vehicle like ants so thick we could not see out any window glass! They were screaming they need to kill us because I drove over their dog and next it will be our children! We offered to pay for the dog and his injury but did not help! Even our daughter Sandra who was 4 years old then says she was so scared because the car was so dark inside with people covering the window glass! In the midst of all this chaos a man comes walking down the road and stops next to our vehicle. This man looked like an escaped criminal with knife scars on his face and arms. I thought it was surely over for us now! My wife Hamsa translated for me what he was telling the mob. In Tamil he told the crowd the following! He said, “You bunch of dogs! This man has a feeding program in your village and is feeding your children everyday! They have rented a building for a day care center and medical clinic! So is this how you return thanks to him? He did not have to come all the way from America to feed you dogs! If any of you touch this man or harm him me and my gang members will take care of you! The mob melted away back into their huts. As I was driving back to our house just over the hill drops of sweat were still dripping off my forehead! Then the most beautiful thought came to me! Now I have a free pass to go into this slum! So the next day at the crack of dawn I entered into this slum with pockets full of candy for the children and Gospel tracts for the adults! So the stones were rolled away and life entered death! I gained a lot of important lessons with my years in India. One important lesson is that you cannot really change a culture! If you do it is like trying to stop a tidal wave with your hands! Our Pastor Brady Boyd in his Sunday message at New Life Church here in Colorado Springs made a very important point! He said, ” Christianity historically is strongest when giving, loving and serving those who live in the margins of the culture!” Why the political and cultural battles rage sow seeds of love to the disenfranchised of our community! The widows, orphans, single moms and homeless! Roll that stone away and bring life to the hopeless! Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com