Sorry for the late post today...
My automatic post didn't work today and I just got back from a good time up in Anchorage.
I'm glad to report that I drove up from Homer with 4 of our Corps (church) members to attend a leadership training seminar. God is good and we enjoyed a time with other local leaders from Kodiak, Kenai, Anchorage Korean, the ARP (the rehab center), Wasilla, and Anchorage Corps.
DHQ (Divisional Head Quarters) did a great job with additional training for youth leadership and evangelism training.
Nothing life changing to post today other than God is good, He granted safe travels to all, He inspired us all to greater service out of love for Him, and might even be spurring those that went with me to greater acts of service (and maybe even leadership) in the Corps.
God bless your Corps and church meetings tomorrow. May God enjoy your worship and may you meet Him there.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Captain's meditation on evangelism & Proverbs 21:11-12
William Booth (founder of The Salvation Army)…"Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you 'go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin." Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there."
William Booth also said... “I do not want another ecclesiastical corps cumbering the earth. When The Salvation Army ceases to be a militant body of red hot men and women whose supreme business is the saving of souls, I hope it will vanish utterly.”
Charles Spurgeon said… If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned or unprayed for.
Catherine Booth... "You are not here in the world for yourself. You have been sent here for others. The world is waiting for you!"
In Proverbs 24:11 – 12 we read... Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Live holy, preach Jesus!
William Booth also said... “I do not want another ecclesiastical corps cumbering the earth. When The Salvation Army ceases to be a militant body of red hot men and women whose supreme business is the saving of souls, I hope it will vanish utterly.”
Charles Spurgeon said… If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned or unprayed for.
Catherine Booth... "You are not here in the world for yourself. You have been sent here for others. The world is waiting for you!"
In Proverbs 24:11 – 12 we read... Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Shanty Remodel - great thought from an email
Source: A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, in his book Wholly Sanctified. Contributor: Jim Luthy
In the upper portion of New York City, many citizens may often have noticed, especially in the past years, a great number of miserable shanties standing on the choicest sites. Though perhaps on the corner of a splendid new avenue or looking out on a magnificent prospect, the houses were utterly unworthy of their sites.
Suppose that a millionaire should want to purchase a site, and the owner should begin, before giving possession, to repair the old shanty for the new owner, putting fresh thatch on the miserable roof and a new coat of whitewash on the dirty walls. How the purchaser would laugh at him and say, "My friend, I do not want your miserable old wreck of a tenement fixed up like this. At the best, it will only be a shanty when you have done all you can to it, and I will never live in it. All I want is the ground, the site, and when I get it I will raze the old heap of rubbish to the foundations and dig deep down to the solid rock before I build my splendid mansion. I will then build from the base my own new house according to my own magnificent plan. I do not want a vestige of your house; all that I require is the location."
This is exactly what God wants of us and waits to do in us. Each of us has a splendid site for a heavenly temple. It looks out upon eternity and commands a view of all that is glorious in the possibilities of existence. The house that is built upon it now, however, is a worthless wreck; it is past improving. Our patching and repairing is worse than waste. What God wants of us is simply that we give him the possibilities of our lives and let him build upon them a temple of holiness which he will make his own abode and which he will let us dwell in with him as his happy guests in the house of the Lord forever.
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Salvationists & fellow followers of Jesus Christ - Live holy, preach Jesus!
In the upper portion of New York City, many citizens may often have noticed, especially in the past years, a great number of miserable shanties standing on the choicest sites. Though perhaps on the corner of a splendid new avenue or looking out on a magnificent prospect, the houses were utterly unworthy of their sites.
Suppose that a millionaire should want to purchase a site, and the owner should begin, before giving possession, to repair the old shanty for the new owner, putting fresh thatch on the miserable roof and a new coat of whitewash on the dirty walls. How the purchaser would laugh at him and say, "My friend, I do not want your miserable old wreck of a tenement fixed up like this. At the best, it will only be a shanty when you have done all you can to it, and I will never live in it. All I want is the ground, the site, and when I get it I will raze the old heap of rubbish to the foundations and dig deep down to the solid rock before I build my splendid mansion. I will then build from the base my own new house according to my own magnificent plan. I do not want a vestige of your house; all that I require is the location."
This is exactly what God wants of us and waits to do in us. Each of us has a splendid site for a heavenly temple. It looks out upon eternity and commands a view of all that is glorious in the possibilities of existence. The house that is built upon it now, however, is a worthless wreck; it is past improving. Our patching and repairing is worse than waste. What God wants of us is simply that we give him the possibilities of our lives and let him build upon them a temple of holiness which he will make his own abode and which he will let us dwell in with him as his happy guests in the house of the Lord forever.
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Salvationists & fellow followers of Jesus Christ - Live holy, preach Jesus!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Lessons from my garage door?
Carrying on the thought from yesterday's post about Samson not knowing the Lord had left him...
Just a couple weeks ago our garage door motor died. Here in homer there's really only one place to get it repaired and that one man was out of town for two weeks, then another week to order parts. While I waited for the repair I kept habitually pushing the garage door button in my van only to find that the power was gone.
Can you imagine doing something habitually, that you have always done before, and not knowing the power was gone?
Unfortunately I believe that too many Salvation Army Corps, too many churches, and too many believers just slip into autopilot, just doing what we've always done, and we don't realize that God invited us to move on to new things.
Let's not be afraid to admit when God has called us to move on from old things that have served His purpose in the past, to new things, new "programs", new strategies, and a new fresh empowerment of His Spirit.
Let's not live out of habit, but daily empowered by the Lord.
To you my fellow soldiers, officers, and followers of Jesus, you are on my heart today and my prayers are with you.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Just a couple weeks ago our garage door motor died. Here in homer there's really only one place to get it repaired and that one man was out of town for two weeks, then another week to order parts. While I waited for the repair I kept habitually pushing the garage door button in my van only to find that the power was gone.
Can you imagine doing something habitually, that you have always done before, and not knowing the power was gone?
Unfortunately I believe that too many Salvation Army Corps, too many churches, and too many believers just slip into autopilot, just doing what we've always done, and we don't realize that God invited us to move on to new things.
Let's not be afraid to admit when God has called us to move on from old things that have served His purpose in the past, to new things, new "programs", new strategies, and a new fresh empowerment of His Spirit.
Let's not live out of habit, but daily empowered by the Lord.
To you my fellow soldiers, officers, and followers of Jesus, you are on my heart today and my prayers are with you.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Captain's meditation on Judges 16:20
In case you haven't read it lately, Judges chapter 16 has one of the most "famous" stories in the bible and also what may be among the most painful verses in God's Word.
Judges 16:20 after "toying" with giving away the secret to his strength, Samson eventually tells Delilah about his hair (of course his strength was from God, but Samson was under a vow to live a certain way, set apart, to be in a position to receive the power).
When Samson gave away the secret and allowed himself to be in a position to be compromised, his hair was cut, the enemy burst in, Delilah called out, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" and then these words.... Judges 16:20 Samson - He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
How often do we miss out on the power from on high because we "toy with sin" and fail to live set apart for God.
Today is a new day - renew your vows to the Lord - flee from sin - live set apart, and find God's power sufficient for every task He has for you.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Judges 16:20 after "toying" with giving away the secret to his strength, Samson eventually tells Delilah about his hair (of course his strength was from God, but Samson was under a vow to live a certain way, set apart, to be in a position to receive the power).
When Samson gave away the secret and allowed himself to be in a position to be compromised, his hair was cut, the enemy burst in, Delilah called out, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" and then these words.... Judges 16:20 Samson - He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
How often do we miss out on the power from on high because we "toy with sin" and fail to live set apart for God.
Today is a new day - renew your vows to the Lord - flee from sin - live set apart, and find God's power sufficient for every task He has for you.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday's Sermon - Easter Resurrection Sunday!
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
To listen to this yesterday's Sunday's sermon now, just click the play arrow here for audio or download options.
For sermon notes see the full size sermon player at the bottom of this page - next to today's title is a PDF for notes. Today's notes have a fill in section and then a full manuscript outline of my study for today's sermon.
For past sermons or podcasting see the full size sermon player at the very bottom of this blog page. Choose a message by title OR click the podcasting icon at the bottom of the sermon player.
You can also access my sermon player (and countless other preachers) at http://sermon.net/The_Salvation_Army_Homer
God bless your study!
Live holy, preach Jesus!
To listen to this yesterday's Sunday's sermon now, just click the play arrow here for audio or download options.
For sermon notes see the full size sermon player at the bottom of this page - next to today's title is a PDF for notes. Today's notes have a fill in section and then a full manuscript outline of my study for today's sermon.
For past sermons or podcasting see the full size sermon player at the very bottom of this blog page. Choose a message by title OR click the podcasting icon at the bottom of the sermon player.
You can also access my sermon player (and countless other preachers) at http://sermon.net/The_Salvation_Army_Homer
God bless your study!
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
It's Resurrection Sunday - He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
In Kipling’s story, The Jungle Book, Mowgli, the man cub, asks the animals what’s the most feared thing in the jungle. He’s told that when two animals meet on a narrow path that one must step aside and let the other pass. The animal that steps aside for no one would then be the most feared. Mowgli wants to know what kind of animal would that be? One tells him it’s an elephant. Another tells him it’s a lion. Finally the wise old owl exclaims, “The most feared thing in the jungle is death. It steps aside for no one.”
Death is an absolute truth for all of us. No one is exempt from death.
Heb. 9:27 – It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the judgment.
Ecc. 7:2 – …for death is the destiny of every man.
But death was not the destiny of Jesus Christ. Jesus was God in the flesh and death had to step aside for him. Like a coward steps aside for the brave, death cowered in the presence of the power of Jesus Christ.
Rom. 6:9 – For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
Today we celebrate Easter or what I prefer to call Resurrection Sunday and it’s the celebration that death could not keep Jesus down!
The resurrection is of supreme importance because it is what separates from all the other religious leaders of the world? Death stepped aside for Him and not them.
Death didn’t step aside for Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. Their religious teachings did make an impact on the world, but they died never to be seen alive again.
Jesus was more than a great teacher, more than just a man, He was God incarnate, and He proved His superiority over all religious teachers by conquering sin, death, and the grave.
The resurrection is important to our faith because it’s what guarantees the absolute validity about who Jesus was and the truth of His teachings. -If there was no resurrection of Christ, then our faith is based on the teachings of a mere man.
Dr. David Seamands tells of a Muslim who became a Christian in Africa: “Some of his friends asked him, ‘Why did you become a Christian?’ He answered, ‘Well, It’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions and you didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two men, one dead and one alive. Which one would you ask which way to go?’”
Today there's no greater question than where you will spend eternity. Only through faith in Jesus Christ (trusting in Jesus alone), and by repenting of your sins (remorse for your sin and a promise to now turn from them to let God lead your lfie) can you be saved.
If you want more information on how to have a personal relationship with the Risen Savior Jesus Christ, contact your local Salvation Army or call me at 907.235.2609, or email mark.thielenhaus@usw.salvationarmy.org I would love to share more with you.
Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins, and He rose again to prove He was God and that His teaching is true. Once you accept Him, GO AND TELL SOMEBODY RIGHT AWAY and don't ever stop, the free gift of eternal life is for anyone who will call on Him.
We aren't promised tomorrow, nor are those you come in contact with, let no one die in their sins, live holy, and preach Jesus.
HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
Death is an absolute truth for all of us. No one is exempt from death.
Heb. 9:27 – It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the judgment.
Ecc. 7:2 – …for death is the destiny of every man.
But death was not the destiny of Jesus Christ. Jesus was God in the flesh and death had to step aside for him. Like a coward steps aside for the brave, death cowered in the presence of the power of Jesus Christ.
Rom. 6:9 – For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
Today we celebrate Easter or what I prefer to call Resurrection Sunday and it’s the celebration that death could not keep Jesus down!
The resurrection is of supreme importance because it is what separates from all the other religious leaders of the world? Death stepped aside for Him and not them.
Death didn’t step aside for Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. Their religious teachings did make an impact on the world, but they died never to be seen alive again.
Jesus was more than a great teacher, more than just a man, He was God incarnate, and He proved His superiority over all religious teachers by conquering sin, death, and the grave.
The resurrection is important to our faith because it’s what guarantees the absolute validity about who Jesus was and the truth of His teachings. -If there was no resurrection of Christ, then our faith is based on the teachings of a mere man.
Dr. David Seamands tells of a Muslim who became a Christian in Africa: “Some of his friends asked him, ‘Why did you become a Christian?’ He answered, ‘Well, It’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions and you didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two men, one dead and one alive. Which one would you ask which way to go?’”
Today there's no greater question than where you will spend eternity. Only through faith in Jesus Christ (trusting in Jesus alone), and by repenting of your sins (remorse for your sin and a promise to now turn from them to let God lead your lfie) can you be saved.
If you want more information on how to have a personal relationship with the Risen Savior Jesus Christ, contact your local Salvation Army or call me at 907.235.2609, or email mark.thielenhaus@usw.salvationarmy.org I would love to share more with you.
Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins, and He rose again to prove He was God and that His teaching is true. Once you accept Him, GO AND TELL SOMEBODY RIGHT AWAY and don't ever stop, the free gift of eternal life is for anyone who will call on Him.
We aren't promised tomorrow, nor are those you come in contact with, let no one die in their sins, live holy, and preach Jesus.
HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
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