New Experience

I was in a deep thought a few mornings ago and this is what I thought: How many people who are members of HSMBC have experienced God? Well, I am convinced a large majority of Christians have never experienced God. Don’t get me wrong – our church members know who God is – they know Jesus came, died for their sins and rose again and if someone would confess with their mouth and believe they would have life. That’s a no brainier for the Christian community. We know that the Bible is God’s Word, but it’s so much more than that!

The Bible is God’s way of expressing to you and me who He really is. In other word’s He doesn’t just want us to know about Him – He wants us to experience Him! Is doctrine important? You bet it is – Bible teaching is the fundamental of who we are as a Child of God. But what good is doctrine if we don’t experience it? Let me illustrate it in another way…

• The Pharisee’s, a group of religious scholars, could recite the books of Moses (sound’s pretty indoctrinated if you ask me.). And in Matthew 23:33 Jesus called them vipers! Wonder why? They knew the Scripture but they hadn’t experience the scriptures.
• In John 3 a man by the name of Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. In verse 9 he asked Jesus how can these things be (referring to Salvation) and Jesus responded in the very next verse: You’re a master in Israel and you don’t know these things? Nicodemus knew God intellectually but didn’t know intimately.

Do you know God intimately because you’ve experienced God? I want to give you a practical exercise. I want to challenge you when you read God’s Word, ask God to let you experience that passage of scripture! Start here:

Psa 46:10,11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  Jehovah of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.

God, please allow me to experience you today by knowing that you are God! You knew me before I was in my mothers womb. You’ve experienced me… Help me to experience you. In Jesus name – Amen.

dear abby

One of the things I do when I get to my office in the morning is read the news. I was reading an article about the daughter to the original advice columnist “Dear Abby”. I’d like to share with you some of things it had to say… SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – For years, rumblings have surfaced on the Internet, conjecture about her casual references to “sexual orientation” and “respect.”

Now, Dear Abby is ready to say it flatly: She supports same-sex marriage.

“I believe if two people want to commit to each other, God bless I’m,” the syndicated advice columnist told The Associated Press. “That is the highest form of commitment, for heaven’s sake.”

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20071010/D8S6BRB80.html

I’m not going to attack or judge this article but I will challenge the “God bless ‘em”. With this attitude of cultural acceptance - we ask God to Bless America? We’re kidding right? We’re asking God to bless a nation that is ok with Gay Marriage and abortion! First off the highest form of commitment isn’t to each other – it’s to God! Two people can feel the a totally connected to each other when both have made a commitment to God.

How does God look at homosexuality and the phrase – “God bless ‘ em”?

1Co 6:9, 10 Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men,  nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

**** effeminate – homosexuals

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:

Gen 19:13 for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed great before Jehovah: and Jehovah hath sent us to destroy it. 

**** God sending angels to Sodom to destroy it because of homosexuality

Lev 18:21fff – I am Jehovah.

Lev 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

**** enough said….

Lev 20:13 And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

This is what I want to know… How do you ask God to bless that?

* Prayer – LORD, forgive us for having a pagan mentality to be culturally accepting.  LORD, you asked, “would you find FAITH on this earth when you returned” -  by faith, please give us the strength to take a stand upon your WORD, because it is right. Help us to love others but help us to not be afraid to correct what is wrong according to your righteousness. In the precious name of Jesus – Amen.