God´s Friend?

God´s Friend

Greg Laurie

 

Do you have any good friends? Are you a good friend to someone else? Having friends can actually improve women’s health, according to a UCLA study done by scientists Laura Cousin Klein and Shelly Taylor. Their research found that women under stress experience at least temporary relief by bonding with her pals, which releases the hormone oxytocin, which, among other things, helps create a sense of tranquility.

 

And study after study has shown that social ties actually reduce our risk of disease by lowering our blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol.

It has been said a friend is one who walks in when others walk out. It takes a long time to build true friendships. They don’t come all that often in life.

 

It was Aristotle who said rather cynically, “O my friends, there is no friend.” Maybe that is because Aristotle did not know about the friend “who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV), the friend who wants to enter into a relationship with all of us. I am speaking, of course, about Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to be a friend of God? I know that God extends His friendship toward us, but the question is, are we reciprocating? Are we responding appropriately?
Jesus spoke about true friendship with others and with God. He said, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:12–14 NLT).

Here we find that Jesus is offering His friendship to all of humanity. But here is what we need to know: A friendship consists of two people committing themselves to each other. In other words, I can’t just say to you, “From now on I am your close friend.” Rather, you would need to enter into friendship with me as well. It is a partnership, an agreement.
In the same way, I can’t simply say that I am God’s friend unless he responds. Nor can God say that I am his friend unless I respond. So here is what we need to know: God has offered His friendship to us. Jesus also said, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you” (John 15:16). Imagine that for a moment. God chose us to be his friends, to be His companions.
Maybe when you were growing up, you were forced to be friends with someone. Maybe your mother felt sorry for someone and said, “Make that person your friend. Take them with you.” You didn’t want to be a friend with that person. Or maybe you went out on a blind date. You were set up with someone and you felt pressure to be that person’s friend when you really didn’t want to be.

That is not the case with God. He wants to be your friend. He has pledged His unwavering offer of friendship to us. If we want to respond in kind, here is what we need to do.

We need to obey him. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:14). How do we demonstrate our friendship with God? We do what he says. And if we don’t, then we have no right to call ourselves his friends.

God has a lot of so-called friends. They say they love him. But then they will go out deliberately break his commandments. They will go out and intentionally do what he tells them not to do, all the while boasting of their love for him. But Jesus said that his friends will do what he commands.

We need to obey actively. The obedience Jesus required was an active obedience. Again, he said, “You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:14). Some think that it is enough to merely avoid what God forbids. They might say, “Well, I am not a thief,” or list some other thing that God tells us not to do. But that would be like someone saying, “Well, I am your friend because I don’t insult you or beat you up.” Friendship is more than just the absence of bad things; it is also the presence of good things. God really wants both from us.

We need to obey continuously. In the original language, the word “do” that Jesus used speaks of something that is continuous. In other words, it means a constant obedience. This does not mean we must be perfect, because no one is. But it does mean that when we fall, we get up and try again. We want to honor the commitment we have made to God.

We need to obey even in the little things. True friends of God obey him in even the smallest matters. Jesus didn’t say, “You are my friends if you do whatever you are comfortable with or what you personally agree with or what you find easy.”

We need to obey voluntarily. True friends of God obey him because they want to. When you love someone, you like to do things for them. Sometimes we look at giving and serving as a duty. When we are really friends of God, it is a delight, a privilege to do something that he tells us to do.

We need to cultivate the friendship. True friendship with God must be maintained by cultivation. When someone is your close friend, you talk to him or her a lot. You shoot them emails. You text them. You often have ongoing conversations. Friends talk to friends. And that is what we should be doing with God – constantly communicating with him. That is what prayer is, really. When you are in friendship with God, you will cultivate the communication. And when you are out of friendship with God, you won’t want that communication.

You have a friend in high places who will never betray you, who is extending communication and fellowship to you that will never betray your confidence. God loves you and offers his friendship to you. Do you want it? Do you have friendship with God?

The Red Mountain Cafe

Ohhh … Ojo Caliente, NM #Coffeehouse, the Red Mountain Cafe

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Lisa

Ohhh … Ojo Caliente, NM #Coffeehouse, the Red Mountain Cafe

What a darling little spot just off Highway 285 north of Santa Fe.
It was hard to resist the homemade goodies that David, the owner of 1 1/2 years offered in his bakery display. He makes everything for the cafe on his own, and you can feel the love!



He is able to sustain his business by the patronage of the locals as this area of New Mexico’s peak season is only in the summer. That leaves about eight months of slow business where the tourists (like me) are hard to come by.
Ojo Caliente is a town that features mineral healing pools to relax in. If you have never been there, you really should visit. It is a magical part of the high desert country. We camped in the RV park walking distance to the springs for $20 a night with water and electricity. The website for the spa is www.ojospa.com.
Hope your day is great!!
~Lisa
Comments and reviews:

May 13, 2011

Delicious!

byAccurate(3 reviews)

We had lunch today at Red Mountain and loved it. We had great pastrami sandwiches - not too sweet iced tea - and a cookie for the road. The owner, David, is friendly and provided us with two routes for traveling further on to Taos. Great to have this cafe stop in between Santa Fe and Taos - and we would recommend it all traveling along highway 285.

January 28, 2011

Hot, fresh, and homemade

byRhi Denissen(3 reviews)

I'm local, so maybe I'm biased, but I love the coffee and the baked goods. Everything is prepared on the premises - homemade soups, smoothies, sandwiches, brownies, etc. There's a rumor afoot that they're going to start doing hand-crafted pizza, too!

January 28, 2011

Best Pizza Ever

byfastattackmarine(1 review)

Passing through Ojo, I met the owner/chef David who gave me a sample of the Best Pizza I have ever eaten. Brooklyn style, green chile pesto, with roasted chicken.. the opening night for pizza is saturday Jan 29... from 4pm to 9pm

Source: http://www.urbanspoon.com

Best organic pizza ever!”

Reviewed 18 November 2011

The front desk at Ojo recommended it. It was great. We had some of his tomato soup. Amazing. we ordered a pizza to go we everything on it. Whole cloves of roasted garlic, you've got to get one with those on it!
Source: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/

CONVERSA CORAJOSA

CONVERSA CORAJOSA

http://teachervjcpjoani.blogspot.com.br/

Será que os avanços tecnológicos na comunicação nos deixaram incapazes de confrontar as pessoas adequadamente? Afinal de contas, agora os empregadores podem enviar cartas de demissão por e-mail. E as pessoas podem criticar outras no Facebook e no Twitter, em vez de falar face a face. Talvez seja melhor colocar tudo isso de lado e imitar a maneira como Paulo se comunicou com Pedro quando eles discordaram.

 

Paulo teve de confrontar Pedro por ter comprometido a graça (Gálatas 2:11-16). Pedro vinha tendo comunhão com os gentios, mas, quando chegaram os judaizantes (que criam que os pecadores são salvos através de Jesus e da obediência à lei de Moisés), Pedro separou-se dos gentios. Ele os deixou no ostracismo, embora professasse ter união com eles. Vendo essa hipocrisia, Paulo, em amor e com entusiasmo, confrontou Pedro face a face por este se acovardar diante de um sistema legalista incapaz de transformar vidas. Com vigor, ele lembrou Pedro de que a graça leva à libertação da escravidão do pecado e à obediência a Deus.

 

Ter conversas corajosas com outros cristãos pode ser difícil, mas elas promoverão a pureza e a unidade. Podemos exercitar nossa responsabilidade mútua de falar a verdade em amor (Efésios 4:15) andando no poder do Espírito Santo.

Uma palavra bem escolhida pode ser muito eloquente. (RBC)

 

 

Abide in Me

In the Gospel of John 15:1-8, Jesus tells a story about the importance of our connection to the true source of life. Of the true source of power. Jesus uses the analogy of the vineyard of the vine and the branches.

Just as the electricity provides the power necessary for the bulb to produce light.
So the vine provides the life necessary for the branches to produce fruit.

Jesus is the vine, God the Father is the vine grower, and true believers are the branches.

As branches we are spiritually alive, yet we can only grow if we are connected to Him, the true vine.
As long as we are connected to Jesus the power of the Holy Spirit can run in us and keep us spiritually alive.

This passage tells us of pruning, fruit-bearing and abiding.
Let’s be clear, pruning is not punishment.

It is done so that the tree or plant can be even more productive so that it will be more fruitful. Pruning sounds destructive, but it is actually creative.

While visiting Walt Disney World when my children were little, I noticed that there were hedge-type plants growing in amazing shapes.
They had one that looked just like Mickey Mouse and another like Donald Duck.
By trimming the bushes regularly, they were able to shape the plants into the form that they were seeking.

In similar fashion, God prunes our lives to shape us into the image of Jesus.
Sometimes the pruning involves removing sin or other distractions from our lives. Sometimes God’s pruning is painful, but over time God is changing us to be more like Jesus. Because God loves us, He prunes us which allows us to bear more fruit for His glory.

You will never see a branch pruning another branch! The responsibility of pruning, shaping and otherwise trimming the vines is not of the other branches. That responsibility is God’s and God’s alone.

Pruning not only is the removal of what is bad or not necessary, but also cutting away the good and the better so that we might enjoy the best!

Second, from this text we see fruit-bearing. This fruit bearing is speaking of the spiritual life flowing through the vine. And this spiritual life produces fruit.

We are not producing fruit to please ourselves but to give to serve others.

A true branch, united with the vine, will always bear fruit. Not every branch bears a bumper crop, just as not every field has a bumper harvest, but there is always fruit where there is life.

A branch should have the same DNA as the trunk. If God’s DNA is love, then our DNA should be love as well.

Third, there is abiding.

The more we abide in Christ, the more fruit we bear. The more fruit we bear, the more the Father has to prune us so that the quality keeps up with the quantity.

Such transformation comes from connectedness, not from effort.
Suppose someone were to walk up to one of those vines and yell, “Start Producing fruit!” Nothing would happen.

Once the vine grower has done His job, all the branches have to do to bear fruit is to stay connected to the vine. The command to us is not to produce fruit.

The command is to abide! When we are abiding in Christ the fruit comes naturally. He produces fruit in us. If we abide in Christ we will bear fruit. We do not have to work at it. The Vine brings forth the fruit naturally, if we abide in the vine.

Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing.” Will we ever grasp this truth? The daily in-flow of the Holy Spirit is the only power to bring forth spiritual fruit. Abide in Jesus Christ daily and you will be transformed, conformed more and more like Christ and you shall bear fruit for Him.

Pastor Jim Frankeas is the pastor of Hope Community Church in Pilesgrove NJ.

Corrupting the Image - Part II. Doug Hamp.

Corrupting the Image with Doug Hamp Part 2 from Gary Stearman on Vimeo.

The shocking story of Genesis 6 has escaped the notice of most Christians. It’s just not a good Sunday morning message. God had a good reason for Noah’s flood. Fallen angels corrupted the human race by procreating with human women. Will this hybrid race of giants make another appearance? Corrupting the Image, Doug Hamp’s new book and DVD, is explosive!

SALMO 116

http://gracethrufaith.com/estudios-biblicos-en-espanol

Amo a Jehová, pues ha oído mi voz y mis súplicas; Porque ha inclinado a mí su oído; por tanto, le invocaré en todos mis días. Me rodearon ligaduras de muerte, me encontraron las angustias del Seol; angustia y dolor había yo hallado. Entonces invoqué el nombre de Jehová, diciendo: Oh Jehová, libra ahora mi alma. Clemente es Jehová, y justo; sí, misericordioso es nuestro Dios. Jehová guarda a los sencillos; estaba yo postrado, y me salvó.

Vuelve, oh alma mía, a tu reposo, porque Jehová te ha hecho bien. Pues tú has librado mi alma de la muerte, mis ojos de lágrimas, y mis pies de resbalar. Andaré delante de Jehová en la tierra de los vivientes. Creí; por tanto hablé, estando afligido en gran manera. Y dije en mi apresuramiento: Todo hombre es mentiroso.
¿Qué pagaré a Jehová por todos sus beneficios para conmigo? Tomaré la copa de la salvación, e invocaré el nombre de Jehová. Ahora pagaré mis votos a Jehová delante de todo su pueblo. Estimada es a los ojos de Jehová la muerte de sus santos. Oh Jehová, ciertamente yo soy tu siervo, siervo tuyo soy, hijo de tu sierva; tú has roto mis prisiones. Te ofreceré sacrificio de alabanza, e invocaré el nombre de Jehová. A Jehová pagaré ahora mis votos delante de todo su pueblo, En los atrios de la casa de Jehová, en medio de ti, oh Jerusalén. Aleluya.

¿Cómo podemos pagarle al Señor por todos sus beneficios para con nosotros? Él no necesita nada de lo que nosotros tenemos. No podemos comprarle un regalo ni darle dinero. Tampoco podemos hacer ningún proyecto especial para Él, como lavar Su automóvil o pintarle la entrada principal de Su casa.

Una vez alguien le preguntó al Profeta Miqueas qué le debía traer al Señor. ¿Holocaustos? ¿Millares de carneros? ¿Diez mil batos de aceite? ¿Qué tal mi hijo primogénito? La respuesta de Miqueas fue tan simple como exacta: “Solamente hacer justicia, y amar misericordia, y humillarte ante tu Dios” (Miqueas 6:6-8). Dios no está interesado en lo que le traemos, sino en cómo es que vivimos.

“Hacer justicia”. Tratar a las personas honestamente. No aprovecharse de ellas. Apoyar a aquellas personas que no lo pueden hacer por sí mismas. Decir la verdad, aun cuando eso no sea lo más popular.

“Amar misericordia”. Celebrar cuando alguien sale favorecido en algo. Agradecer al Señor por salvar a las personas que no lo merecen, aun si no le gustan a uno en particular. Y aun si son nuestros enemigos.

“Humillarte ente tu Dios”. Reconocer quién es el Socio Principal en nuestra relación. Consultarle absolutamente todas las cosas. Obtener Su permiso antes de poder actuar. Cultivar una actitud de agradecimiento. No temerle a nada, orar por todo, y ser agradecido en todo.

Recordemos que somos el cuerpo de Cristo. Y eso no solamente es cierto en el sentido espiritual. Durante la Era de la Iglesia, literalmente somos Sus ojos y oídos, Sus brazos y manos. Cuando Él quiere ayudar a alguien más, nos usa. Cuando necesitan consuelo son nuestros brazos con los que Él los abraza. Cuando están caídos y no pueden levantarse, Él toma nuestras manos para levantarlos. Cuando lo buscan porque los están persiguiendo y les hacen injusticias, es con nuestros oídos con los que Él los escucha. Cuando Él está buscando a alguien a quien bendecir, es con nuestros ojos con los que Él ve. Cuando Él quiere enjugar las lágrimas de los ojos de ellos, es con nuestras manos con las que Él sostiene el pañuelo. A través nuestro, Él alimenta al pobre, consuela al enfermo, le da abrigo a quienes no tienen casa, defiende la causa de los huérfanos, implora la causa de la viuda, etc., etc.

“En cuanto ustedes lo hicieron a uno de estos mis hermanos más pequeños, dijo Jesús, a mí me lo hicieron” (Mateo 25:40). Después de todo, sí podemos darle algo.

Traducido por Walter Reiche B.
walterre@racsa.co.cr

Sanctifying Ourselves?

Sanctifying Ourselves?
http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher

Q. We have been exploring Hebrew Roots and are all in agreement that following the Law does not save us but there are those who believe following the Law is part of the sanctification process. What are your thoughts on this?

A. The Greek word translated sanctify means to make holy. The word appears only 6 times in the New Testament and five of those times it refers to something the Lord is doing to us. The sixth one, the only time we make anything holy, is when we sanctify God in our hearts (1 Peter 3:15).
This in no way negates the value of trying to live in a manner pleasing to God as an expression of our gratitude. But keeping the Law in an attempt to sanctify ourselves is just another way to say we’re finishing the job God only began. Phil. 1:6 says He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion.
The thing we have to remember is that we can do nothing to improve our position before God. He did it all.

Limiting Grace? Qs and As

Limiting Grace?

http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher

Q. Re: Romans 5:15. It says that the Grace of Jesus Christ has abounded to many. I’m given to understand that people of the Calvinist view point to this verse to support their contention that God doesn’t extend His offer of Grace to everyone, only to the ones He has predestined to be saved…the “many”. There are lots of verses that say this is error, not the least of which is John 3:16. Please help me understand what Rom 5:15 is actually saying.

A. The Greek word translated abounded in Romans 5:15 means ” to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number or measure, to exist in abundance”. It’s never translated “to extend”. This means the extent of the abundance of the Grace of Jesus Christ exceeds our ability to measure it. And the verse doesn’t say “the many” it only says many, meaning that not everyone for whom it exists has accepted it. The verse cannot be used to suggest there’s a limit to His grace. On the contrary it means the opposite.

Blessed Is He Whose Hope Is In The Lord

http://gracethrufaith.com

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the Lord, who remains faithful forever. (Psalm 146:4-6)

Most independent observers don’t expect the economy to improve any time soon, and the average American doesn’t believe either of the presumed candidates for president will be able to change that. Regardless of the reported swings in the unemployment figures, the percentage of working age Americans who have a job has remained steady for over two years, and Labor Department sources say it’s the lowest level of work force participation in 28 years.

The fact that many Americans don’t think either presidential candidate will be able to fix our economy means they’re no longer hoping for improvement on that front. In other words, they’re losing hope in the government’s ability to provide a good life for its people. It seems the so-called Protestant Work Ethic that encouraged our parents and grandparents to live right and work hard as the best way to achieve prosperity is no longer reliable. There are untold numbers of right living, hard working middle class Americans who are finding it increasingly difficult stay even, and as for getting ahead, forget about it.

Don’t Blame Me

You can’t blame them. For several years now the truth about the state of our economy has been strangely missing from the national discourse. We’re so used to being told things are better than they actually are, we no longer know what to believe.

The first time I heard the prediction that this generation of Americans would be the first who could no longer hope for a better standard of living than that of their parents, I remember thinking how great an influence a positive expectation has had on our national way of life, and I wondered how the loss of that expectation would affect us. I guess we’re finding out.

The problem is too many of us have let our past experience shape our expectation for the future. Because of that we’ve come to believe that our standard of living would always continue on its upward trend. While for Christians this is true in the spiritual sense, it contradicts the Bible’s teaching where our physical lives are concerned. In fact we’re warned to expect just the opposite. I’ll show you.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:6-9).

Paul said that everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4) and Peter’s comments above contain a powerful lesson for us. We might have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials but we can be filled with an inexpressible joy because we’re receiving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our soul.

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He said He knows we don’t have much strength but we’ve kept His word and haven’t denied His name. And since we’ve kept His command to endure patiently, He will keep us from the hour of trial that’s coming upon the whole world (Rev. 3:8-10).

There’s that word “endure” again. It’s the same one Paul used in Romans 15:4 and it means to bear our situation bravely and calmly. We can do this because we can see the future through the lens of Scripture and it says our destiny will exceed our wildest expectations.

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven (Hebrews 12:22-23).

This is what lies ahead for us, and it doesn’t matter if things get tough for a little while here because there’s no power in Heaven or on Earth that can take that from us. Besides, the Lord has promised that because we’ve sought His Kingdom and His righteousness, He’ll see to all our needs in the mean time (Matt. 6:31-33).

Therefore, Paul was justified in saying,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7).

The reason many Christians are anxious about the next little while is that they don’t have that clear picture of our destiny the Bible paints for us fixed in their minds. For the most part we’re not nearly as fearful of what we know as we are of what we don’t know and that’s why I’ve been preaching for years about the absolute necessity of understanding what the Bible says about the End Times. When the final outcome is clear in our minds, things that happen along the way are not as scary.

Make no mistake about it. Life on Earth is not going to get better, it’s going to get worse. Even if we see signs that appear to indicate improvement we’re not to be fooled by them like the rest of the world will be. Remember Paul’s warning, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thes. 5:2-3).

Then he said that we who are believers should not be taken by surprise as this day approaches. That means we should not be fooled by the appearance of improvement. We should remain alert and self-controlled, putting on faith as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we should encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thes 5:4-11).

The Greek word Paul used for self-controlled means to be calm and collected in spirit. We can only do that when we know for certain that the things Satan intends for this world cannot pre-empt the things God intends for us. For greater is the One who is in us than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Faith And Knowledge

A breastplate protects the heart, and a helmet protects the head. A soldier who went into battle without either one was vulnerable. It took both to fully protect him. Our heart is the seat of our faith, and our head is the seat of our knowledge. Both must be protected because both are essential to our well being.

We live by faith not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), but faith comes from hearing the Word of the Lord (Romans 10:17). God gave us the faith to be saved and then gave us His word so we can nurture and strengthen our faith with knowledge of Him.

Without knowledge our faith can be shaken, and without faith our knowledge can be discredited. False teachers prey on our lack of Biblical knowledge with clever attempts to shake our faith, claiming the Lord’s promises of escape from judgment are conditional or even non-existent. Unbelievers take advantage of our weak faith by trying to undermine the authority of God’s Word, calling it a counterfeit work of man rather than the inspired Word of God.

It takes both faith and knowledge to fully protect us, to keep us calm and collected in spirit. Our faith in God’s promises and the knowledge that He really made them combine to give us the protection we need to stand against our enemies.

This combination is essential to allow us to take the Lord at His word when He said, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). While the rest of the world is ducking for cover, we’re to stand tall with our eye on the sky, our arms lifted in praise, and our heart filled with joy because this is the time of fulfillment, the time of receiving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls! Blessed is he whose hope is in the Lord. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 05-12-12

Série: Observador Walter McAlister [2]

Série: Observador Walter McAlister [2]

      
Maurício Zágari: Existe diferença entre louvor e entretenimento Cristão?

Walter McAlister.: Muita. Louvor não é algo que se ouve, é algo que se faz. Há muitas músicas hoje que são simplesmente impossíveis de cantar. São um show de música. Já estive em cultos em que a música da plataforma era maravilhosa, incrível, fora de série, ensaiada, com um arranjo lindo. Mas eu olhava para o povo e ninguém estava cantando. Ninguém conseguia cantar, porque não havia ensaiado as viradas e certas modulações da música. Ou seja, embora o show fosse lindo, não promoveu louvor e, portanto, não era louvor. Louvor não é algo que se assiste, é algo que se faz. As pessoas não devem ir à igreja para assistir a um culto, mas sim para prestar um culto.

A Igreja coletivamente presta um culto a Deus, mas, hoje em dia, em sua grande maioria, as pessoas vão à igreja para receber ou assistir. Vão embora ao final dizendo “hoje o louvor foi bom”; não porque “eu louvei bem”, mas porque “cantaram músicas das quais gostei, que me fizeram bem. Me emocionei, estou todo suado, todo feliz”. Julgam a qualidade do louvor pela sua percepção, pela sua experiência, pela sua emoção, pelo alento que esse “louvor” proporcionou a elas; quando, de fato, o louvor é um serviço a Deus. Ninguém vai para o trabalho e diz, no final do dia, “hoje eu construí um muro que me emocionou”. Não, ele foi lá para trabalhar e não construiu o muro para o seu prazer, mas para a pessoa que o contratou.

Nós fomos salvos para servir a Deus, para louvar a Deus. Então, quando vamos à igreja é para prestar culto a Deus. O que não entendo é que as pessoas chegam atrasadas ao culto e dizem “ainda estão cantando, ainda não chegou a hora da mensagem, então posso chegar um pouco mais tarde”. Ou seja: percebem aquilo como um interlúdio musical para que os retardatários não se constranjam ao entrar durante a mensagem. Moral da história: as pessoas chamam de louvor o que não é louvor: é entretenimento cristão. E o que deveria ser louvor elas tratam como um espetáculo descartável.

Pergunta de Maurício Zágari extraída do Livro “O fim de uma era”, respondida pelo autor Walter McAlister. Adquira o livro através deste link. Divulgação: Púlpito Cristão.

Prelúdio para o Deus-Homem - Stênio Marcius

Stênio Marcius – Prelúdio para o Deus-Homem

Nesta música inédita, o irmão Stênio Március nos leva a contemplar a glória de Jesus Cristo, o Homem que dorme no barco de exausto e, ao mesmo tempo, o Deus que com uma palavra faz cessar a tempestade.

Fonte: Voltemos. Divulgação: Púlpito Cristão.

What is the big deal about Obama's change of opinion on gay marriage?

What is the big deal about Obama's change of opinion on gay marriage?

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This week Obama came out and said openly that he now supports gay marriage. This caused a political earthquake in America and around the world. Some rushed in with money to support him so any potential second term may gain them political advantage of turning their deviancy into law. Some said his stance shows "moral leadership."

The pressure ramped up on other world leaders, who immediately were pressed into stating, or re-stating their views. At once, the wolves circled the Australia Prime Minister, who had to 'defend' her views against gay marriage. The UK was pressed to follow Obama's 'lead.'

In all cases though, we know that his open stance set a global precedent. And not just for gay marriage, but also for gay adoption and ultimately for redefinition of the foundational rock of our culture: families united under God.

Now we know that Obama's change in stance, or "evolution" as he calls it, is simply a crafty accession to a political timing. I mean, everyone could see this coming, and Southern Baptist Preacher and president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Al Mohler said essentially we all knew where Obama stood from the beginning and it was only a matter of time until he came out for gay marriage unequivocally.

So on that last basis, people are saying, since we all knew this was coming, what's the big deal?

Well, it IS a big deal. Franklin Graham said of Obama's shift toward public and government support of gay marriage:

"“President Obama has, in my view, shaken his fist at the same God who created and defined marriage. It grieves me that our president would now affirm same-sex marriage, though I believe it grieves God even more,” Graham said in a statement. “This is a sad day for America. May God help us,” he said.

Here is why Obama's change from a likely stance toward acceptance of gay marriage to an affirmed stance of homosexual unions codified under the force of law is a big deal: it's public sin.

Graham is right when he says America has shaken her fist at God. God does not tolerate flaunted sin. He is grieved over all sin, of course, national and individual, but to openly defy God's law regarding marriage and the family, affirming sin at the national level, takes it up a notch. God had even made a provision for a distinction between unintentional sin and defiant sin in Old Testament Law and he set rules for atonement for each:

"But if just one person sins unintentionally, he must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering. The priest is to make atonement before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven. One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether he is a native-born Israelite or an alien. But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the Lord, and that person must be cut off from his people. Because he has despised the Lord’s word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him." (Numbers 15:27-31).

And no one can say that homosexual unions under government establishment and approval is an unintentional sin. Look at this verse from 2 Peter 2:6-10--

"If he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful natured and despise authority."
The authority spoken of here is God's authority, lordship authority and the celestial hierarchies.

So no one can say they were unaware that homosexuality is a sin. We were given an actual example of what is going to happen to the ungodly, and were then told that this will happen again to the ungodly because they had not heeded that example. In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah (and Admah and Zeboiim as per Deuteronomy 29:23) an entire region was destroyed due to public and flagrant sin. In the case of the US, remember that Obama is an elected representative of the majority of 311 million people and a representative speaks for the majority of the people. So this week Obama publicly and intentionally flouted God's law for the sanctity of marriage the way He has ordained in the bible.

So you can see that it is not just a matter of one guy changing his mind about how he feels about homosexual marriage. It is a matter of a man who was elected to lead the most blessed nation on earth (after Israel) who represents and speaks for the majority of them, a king of the world, who is supposed to righteously govern according to God's standards but instead publicly flaunts God's ordinances. He has shaken his fist at God.

We consistently kill millions of unborn babies despite being told not to pass our children through the fire and sacrifice them. (Leviticus 18:21). We affirm deviancy. We allow 'no-fault' divorce. We make empty professions of faith and practice idolatry. When the gay-promoters lash out at the bible believers they call us "intolerant." They will soon discover how INTOLERANT God Himself is toward sin. Nineveh was smote for wickedness. Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim was smote for homosexuality and wickedness. Israel was punished for empty religion and flouting or abandoning God's laws. God judged the world because "the wickedness of man was great in the earth" (Genesis 6:5a). America is no different than any other nation or the world.

But let's bring our attention to a part of the verse that is a promise. The first part of the verse spoke about condemnation. The second part is a promise. Here is 2 Peter 2:6-9a:

"If he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials..."
He KNOWS how grieved we are to hear these things. He KNOWS how trapped we feel, we who did not elect him and who do not hold to these deviant standards. He KNOWS we are distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men. He KNOWS. He rescues the godly. He rescues.

Did he not rescue Noah, that righteous man, perfect in his generations? Did He not rescue Lot? Does He not promise to rescue us from the coming wrath? (1 Thessalonians 1:10). We are not appointed to wrath. (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

So? What is God waiting for? 2 Peter 3:7-9 has the answer--

"But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."God waited for 400 years to judge the Canaanites. He waited until the fourth generation of the Amorites, until their iniquity was full. (Gen 15:16).

However at a certain point a nation does cross the line. Has America crossed it? As Franklin Graham said, Marriage "was defined not by man, but by God Himself. ... This is a sad day for America. May God help us."

Israel Unity

Arranging Deck Chairs or Plugging the Hole?

Arranging Deck Chairs or Plugging the Hole?

by Heidi Swander May 9, 2012 www.olivetreeviews.org  Join us on Facebook

"The motivation for Christians working to delay the coming collapse of our nation is not to preserve our way of life, but to buy more time to share the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible before America is swept away by God's judgment," (emphasis mine). Read that again. This statement by Pastor Robert Jeffress in his book, Twilight's Last Gleaming: How America's Last Days Can Be Your Best Days, revolutionized my thinking on the important matter of actively affecting the culture around us during these days of moral decline.

As we catapult toward this fall's coming election, the debate will grow more heated. "Many Christians equate efforts to stop the murder of the unborn, uphold the biblical principles of morality, and elect godly leaders with rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. 'If we are going down anyway, why bother?' people wonder." Pastor Jeffress isn't at all sure about that way of thinking, and having read his explanation about why he is unsure, I'm inclined to agree.

"I have a different perspective today. While our responsibility to delay our culture's decay is not our primary mission here on earth, it is a necessary prerequisite if we are to fulfill our ultimate calling of pointing people to Jesus Christ," (emphasis mine). Point well taken! I was motivated by Pastor Jeffress' position here.

If the purpose of standing up against abortion or battling the incessant encroachment of homosexuality or trying to bring our culture back from the brink of all-out socialism is simply, "a better America," then that does nothing to inspire me. I would have to throw my hat in the ring with those who say, "Let the ship sink." But if the rationale behind running for office or fighting to put people of principle in positions of leadership or working to defeat an ungodly congressional bill is the eternal goal of, "redeeming the time," in order to provide ample opportunity for as many souls as possible to come to eternal life, that is a goal I can thoroughly stand behind!

And then he poses this question: "How do you balance your primary calling to share the gospel with the calling to stand up against ungodliness in our nation?" That was the premise for the book. It's more than a fair question and it's one that demands an answer from each of us.

He talks about being salt and light in our world as Jesus admonishes us. "Most Evangelical Christians understand (even if they don't obey) the mandate to serve as lights in this dark world, pointing people to Christ's offer of salvation to all who believe. But I have discovered that many Christians do not comprehend Jesus' command to delay the decay of our culture by acting as salt in the world," (emphasis mine).

One important issue Pastor Jeffress points to in regard to this is the relativism that is engulfing not just our society but, more disastrously, the community of those who call themselves, "e
Evangelical Christians."

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We become tasteless salt and a diminished light." And he warns, "When Christians lose their motivation to be restrainers of evil, it is only a matter of time until society crumbles under the weight of its own sin." That observation reminds me of Paul's teaching about the Holy Spirit restraining evil through the vessels He indwells (us), and our understanding that once we are taken Home all hell will, quite literally, break loose. We must not abdicate our responsibility in advance.

Let's get practical. How does this book's premise relate to this fall's election and our responsibility to participate in it? At the very least it means we should plan to vote. I have heard some opine that they won't even vote this time around. I remember reading an article by a fairly well-known Christian editor who actually suggested that the last time around. I don't know how many took heed to his advice, but you can clearly see that the results were not advantageous to the cause of the gospel.

Additionally, we must be informed when we vote. That means we must know as much as we can about the individuals we are voting for and the issues that will be on the ballot so that we make a well-informed decision. That is the kind of voting that will honor our Father and will, if God chooses, allow more time for souls to come to Jesus.

That's just one example. It certainly doesn't stand alone. But if we, as children of God, take seriously Jesus' mandate to be salt and light in every area of our life, you can see how it could affect the culture we live in and provide more time for the lost to be drawn to the Savior.

"Sometimes God judges without delay," Pastor Jeffress writes. "However other times there is a delay between explosive choices a society makes and the natural collapse that comes from removing the spiritual and moral support structures of a society, just as there is with an implosion.

"You and I are living in that pause in history between explosion and implosion," he says. "Our future hope is that the coming darkness that will engulf America and every other nation in the world will be followed by the dawn of Christ's return, when He will establish a new heaven and a new earth. But until that time, God has left us on earth during these twilight years for a very specific purpose."

May we continue to act as salt and light until the day Jesus calls us Home.

A minha graça te basta. Stênio Marcius