Prayer Request

Pray for Hadia Shertzer's mom who has been hospitalized with heart issues, has had a temporary pacemaker put in and will have a permanent one put in on Monday... Pray for healing of in any areas where she has been affected and for stabilization so the procedure can take place on Monday.

Thanks,
R

Praise Report/Prayer Request

Megan Lavoie is signing papers this morning for our house to be SOLD! Praise the Lord! Thanks for all your prayers. Please keep praying that the process continues to go smoothly (selling this house and buying and fixing up the new one!). Thanks!

Today's Reading

Matthew 8

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

The Faith of a Centurion

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Jesus Heals Many

And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

The Cost of Following Jesus

Now when Jesus saw a great crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Demon-Possessed Men

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

How's your hearing?

Robert Gibbs has a lot of authority. Everyday reporters from around the world hang on his every thought, his every word, his glimpse into world events. Yet, when his boss speaks - everything stops. Because no matter how much influence and authority Mr Gibbs possesses, he is still only the press secretary and Barack Obama is still the President of the United States.

The world is filled with good and great expositors, preachers and teachers. Personally I subscribe to four different ones who challenge me in faith and life on a daily basis through their email communications. I also enjoy listening to Ravi Zacharias and Dr Tony Evans on the radio - they are both wonderful expositors with differing styles of communicating the truth of scripture in their signature ways.

Yet even as much as I enjoy them and grow through their teaching and ministry there is still something missing. As much authority as they have, as much as they have been given from God, through Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit - it is only when I read Scripture and hear the voice of Christ - as the Holy Spirit echoes the words Christ spoke centuries ago - that I am astonished/astounded/amazed.

Hearing HIS voice loudly and clearly is unlike any voice we will hear today, as nothing else can ring as remarkably clear with truth, power, and AUTHORITY - the authority of the Father. As we pursue God today, listen - listen to the clear voice of the Holy Spirit of God to help you discern/differentiate/experience the voice of the True Shepherd - it will sound like nothing you have ever heard before.

R

Today's Reading

Matthew 7

Judging Others

"Judge not, that you be not judged.For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

I Never Knew You

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Build Your House on the Rock

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

The Authority of Jesus

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Pats on the Back

Reading today’s verses initially, I was noticing the ebb and flow of Christ’s teaching. The choices we make on a daily basis. Matthew 6 brakes down into mini-lessons on a life spent pursuing God, Kingdom-living at its finest.

Into a society that embraces the dramatic, the talented, the superlative – where athletes have replaced parents as role models and the glamorous receive the majority of the glory – enters a teaching that reminds us that pursuing God means we give up any claim or expectation for acclaim. Unless that’s all we want.

There is giving without glory, intimacy without idols, pleading without populism, fasting without fraud, life without languishing, and faith without fear. Each one “preaches” (although you might find some better words – these were my initial thoughts) yet they are incomplete in painting the entire picture.

They are all smaller parts of an overarching Kingdom principle: Are the pursuits of your life built around earthly acclaim or heavenly applause?

Pursuing God is about more, much more than the world can ever give or provide for us. We might not like it – it might not be as instantly gratifying as we would like – however, the significance of pursuing God is the Blessing of knowing that we have received what we needed to do what God has planned for us. We will not venture across into the heavenly leaving unfinished or un-attempted purposes. We will not be left wondering: “What IF.” What if I had just fed that one more hungry person, clothed one more naked person, said I love you one more time to my children, embraced my wife one more time or given one more dollar.

And all of it will be done out of the gratitude we have for the gift we have already received and the glory that will be revealed when we bask in His presence.

On a personal note I have been presented with multiple opportunities in the last couple months which lead in varying directions. Some would be accomplished individually and others could be accomplished in combination. All of them are significant and would potentially have significant value for the Kingdom. Please pray that as I pursue God I would receive clarity that I will not be left wondering “What If,” but will know the joy and peace that comes from doggedly pursuing God and His purpose for myself and my family.

In Pursuit of the King

R

Today's Reading

Matthew 6

Giving to the Needy

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Lord's Prayer

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Do Not Be Anxious

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I have received a couple inquiries into the meaning of Radaph so I am including this TWOT definition: This is the Hebrew word used in Hosea 6:3 for press on or pursuit. The phonetic spelling is raw daf and means to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after, chase or dog. I thought it was an appropriate place to begin our pursuit of Him together.

In Pursuit of Him,
R

The Pursuit of Perfection

Pursuing God means dying to self. There is really no other way to explain how men and women stop objectifying the opposite sex. How else do we seek the better for our spouses? How else do we become solid in our word, forgiving in our relationships and loving our enemies?

Each command presented by Jesus involves giving up our claims to ourselves. It is taking the little pieces that we hold onto – our lust, our compulsion to be right, our need for revenge, and our desire to rule over others and saying, “God, as I pursue you, I not only lay my life down for you – I will lay it down for every individual and in every situation you bring me into so that the world may know.” After all, is not this what Jesus did on the cross? Christ walked the Talk.

Pursuing God is pursuing His Perfection – setting aside my sin, shame, and selfishness that He might be raised up through me….

Pray that we all at CMC will continue to lay down our lives as we pursue Christ and His Perfection….

Pray also for Kareem D as he continues his job search and all those looking for jobs or faced with career decisions.

In Pursuit of Him,

R

Today's Reading

Matthew 5:27-48
Lust
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Divorce
"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths
"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.

Retaliation
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Don't forget to post your thoughts and comments here! What is God telling you today as you pursue him?

When you think about the word "persecute", what images come to mind? Relentless chasing, taunting, cursing, criticism, flogging, stone-throwing, Molotov cocktails, a cross on a hill? Nothing overtly pleasant or pleasing - just an unrelentless pursuit to chase down or chase out someone different - different in looks, thought, belief, lifestyle, skin color, ethnic persuasion....

Ironically, the same Greek work translated persecute is also the same Paul uses in Phil 3 to challenge us to press on, to pursue Christ (v12: "I press on to make it my own,"; v14: I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call").

In the Beatitudes Jesus tells us that as we allow the Spirit of God, as we nuzzle up next to Him and allow Him to Draw us into His Presence and change us - as we pursue the Righteousness and Holiness of God, that we will be persecuted....

Another way to put it is: As we doggedly and determinedly pursue God in order to experience Him anew, others will also doggedly pursue us - just not for the same reasons. A mark of how determined we are in our pursuit will be how well we doggedly stand on the Rock when the hounds are nipping at our pant legs. Will we relentlessly pursue the One we are chasing or be distracted by the one chasing us?

Today's Reading

Matthew 5:1-26
The Sermon on the Mount
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny

What have you learned about God today?

Doggedly Pursue God

I received this response to Sunday's Service...

"Hey. I was thinking about how as a church we can persue God. I think that the 90 day Bible challenge did that really successfully 2009 and I give the leadership team credit for that. KUDOS! It would be cool if we could come up with something in 2010 that would unite us and drive us as a body closer to God in a similar way. We could alway do it again, but I hope we could come up with something different that would also be growing and unifying for our body. Thanks for the good word!!"

Based upon my own questions, my asking the question about "How I can help you to doggedly pursue God," and additional questions about how we follow up on this and this response, I want to invite all of you to pray and consider how we as brothers and sisters in Christ can doggedly pursue Christ together. Do you have thoughts, ideas, suggestions? Will you commit to pray with me about this? Please email me, call me, reply to FB, whatever you feel comfortable doing with your thoughts.

Initially, I will be setting up a blog and FB page for our use along with a daily reading list (much shorter readings than the 90 day Bible challenge) so we can share around common themes, pray around common issues, submit prayer requests, etc. I hope to have this up Tuesday Night.

I will also be sending this via FB, email and the crossroads group, so you might see multiple copies of this appeal. Do not ignore them - take them as another reminder to pray - to pray for Pastor Vince, to pray for the Leadership Team, to pray for all those who call CMC home - and to ask, Lord, How is it you want us to doggedly pursue you today.

Be Blessed,
Rick