The Power of We

Throughout Scripture, we see multipled power in unity. When God's people come together and work for Kingdom causes (with Kingdom attitudes!), great things take place. This is the power of "we". This past Sunday our topic was, "What if we..."

1. ...Prayed every day?

2. ...Fasted once a week?

3. ...Tithed a tenth of our income?

4. ...Became involved in personal evangelism?

5. ...Attended church every week?

If everyone of us would personalize these five points, I believe we could see the power of God manifest in a powerful way in our church, and in our lives. These simple- but key- disciplines unlock the doorway to knowing God and hearing from Him. And when we know God's voice we can experience not only the joy of knowing Him, but the fruit of the obedient life.

Isn't it time to live God's way? To stay faithful in the small things? To strive towards a Kingdom Unity? It's through our faithfulness in these simple disciplines that we begin to see God's favor multiply our harvest. As we start this new year, let's focus on the Power of We.

Sensational Christmas

We love this time of year. Spending time together, all the homemade goodies & great food, seeing extended family, etc. Of course, the kids can't wait for the presents!

Years ago, when I gave my heart to Jesus, Christmas began to take on a deeper meaning. And it's that Spirit that always seems to be present during our recent "Carols, Candles, and Communion" service.

As we celebrated Christ's birth as a church family, the entire experience was especially meaningful as we pulled up to the table of the Lord and remembered His birth, life and death for us. The message leading into communion was from 1 John 1:1-9.

The passage starts by addressing the senses, "which we have heard...seen...and our hands have touched." And that's exactly what Christmas does for me and so many others. It touches our senses. The lights, food, carols and family time all bring our senses to alert and draw us into the holiday. But the most moving expression isn't from festivities or family; but from the "life that appeared" on that first Christmas day in the form of a baby.

And the Apostle John reminds us that this is to make our "joy complete." Even the angel heralded the same message to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people (Lk. 2:10)."

How about you? Do you have the joy of Christmas this season? Or have the distractions of Christmas kept you from experiencing the real joy, Emmanuel- God with Us. I pray that you have a sensational Christmas by being able to sense the presence and experience the joy of Jesus.

4 Principles of Pearl Harbor

This past Sunday (Dec. 7, 2008) my message was entitled, "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy." The title, of course, comes from the well known speech given by Franklin D. Roosevelt the day after Japanese aircraft bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

In 2007, our family was able to take our first trip to Hawaii (hopefully not our last!). Without a doubt, one of the major highlights was touring the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. Very humbling to experience a place where so much pain and suffering happened. It is an important and interesting part of American history, and simply fascinating to go there.

On the USS Arizona Memorial and checking out the ship below with Braeden

On that day in American history, 2,280 military personnel lost their lives, 1,109 were wounded and 68 civilians also died. The sad thing about that day is that it didn't have to happen. Or at the very least, the results of the attacks could have been less damaging.

Consider this...

• Intelligence department intercepted messages about the coming attack, but didn't forward the entirety of the messages to the commanding officers in Oahu, Hawaii.
• There were warnings of Japanese spies in Hawaii, but they weren't found or captured.
• The morning of Dec. 7, military personnel manning the sonar saw a massive amount of aircraft coming toward them, but it was considered U. S. B-17's coming from the mainland.
• And finally, a sub periscope was seen in the harbor before the attack. Despite this, there was no alert given.

Here are 4 Principles of Pearl Harbor that we can learn from...

1. Pearl Harbor's Pride- They thought they were untouchable. Nothing could happen. Read Pro. 16:18; Ps. 10:4; Lk 18:11-16; and James 4:6.

2. Pearl Harbor's Warning- listed above were all the warning signs that were given. Because God loves us, He gives us many warning signs as well to make us change course. Many times we don't see and hear them because we aren't paying attention.

3. Pearl Harbor's Price- The price that was paid for having too much pride and not listening to the warning signs were great. On top of the men and women who lost their lives, nearly every aircraft was destroyed or damaged, 8 battleships were sunk or destroyed, 2 destroyers were sunk and several other warships. The price is great if we don't examine ourselves for weaknesses (see 2 Cor. 13:5; Mt. 7:22,23; Mt. 7:13,14).

4. Pearl Harbor's Power- There was an incredible display of Japanese power that day. But there was also a tremendous display of U.S. power and resolve. As believers, we have power that is beyond our strength (see 1 Jn. 4:4; 2 Cor. 10:3-6; Ps. 91:11; Ps. 68:1).

Are you listening to the warning signs God is placing in your life? Are they quiet, gentle warnings or have they become obvious and loud? Swallow your pride, heed the warning signs, count the cost, and lean on God's power. He cares for you, loves you, and wants what's best for you.