Cease fire and Hamas
Today I read the response of the Hamas leader to Israel’s decision to engage in at least a temporary cease-fire from the recent hostilities in Gaza. Of course in spite of the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza and the obvious inability of the people to have any kind of a future under the leadership of Hamas - the religious dogma continues. Take it to the bank, Hamas will not cease their actions nor their terrorist ideals. With every fiber of their being they do not believe Israel has a right to exist - let alone control the land.
Therefore, the self-destructive actions of this group will remain in tact. What a shame for the innocent people of Gaza. Hamas has shown as never before their inability to wage any kind of an offensive against Israel, so what is their honest objective anyway? I am convinced that for most part Israel’s leadership is Ok with the idea of some aspect of peaceful co-existence, if the Palestinian leadership would just allow this to take place. But they won’t. Their ideals are greater than their care for their own people, or their safety - let alone their needs. That would make too much sense. What a shame.
The devil of mediocrity
This little outline by one of my favorite pastors and writers - Charles Swindoll was sent to me by one of our young adults in our congregation. it speaks right to one of the biggest enemies we all face and that’s the enemy of mediocrity. Enjoy, be challenged and thanks Viv.
EXCELLENCE
by Charles R. Swindoll
1 Peter 2:12
Mediocrity is fast becoming the byword of our times. Every imaginable excuse is now used to make it acceptable, hopefully preferred. Budget cuts, time deadlines, majority opinion, and hard-nosed practicality are outshouting and outrunning excellence. Those forces seem to be winning the race.
Incompetence and status quo averages are held up as all we can now expect, and the tragedy is that more and more people have virtually agreed. Why worry over the small stuff? Why bother with the genuine now that the artificial looks so real? If the public buys it, why sweat it?
To make it painfully plain, why think clearly since most folks want someone else to think for them? Why live differently in a society where it’s so much easier to look the same and swim downstream? Why fight fiercely when so few seem to care? Why stand courageously if it means risking ridicule, misunderstanding, or being considered a dreamer by some and a fool by others?
Why, indeed? To quote young David just before he took on that Philistine behemoth in the Valley of Elah, “Is there not a cause?” Must we wait for someone else to establish our standard or to set our pace? Not on your life!
It is my firm conviction that those who impact and reshape the world are the ones committed to living above the level of mediocrity. There are still too many opportunities for excellence, too much demand for distinctiveness, to be satisfied with just getting by.
Excellence is a difficult concept to communicate because it can easily be misread as neurotic perfectionism or snooty sophistication. But it is neither. On the contrary, it is the stuff of which greatness is made. It is the difference between just getting by and soaring—-that which sets apart the significant from the superficial, the lasting from the temporary. A commitment to excellence is neither popular nor easy. But it is essential.
Excellence in integrity and morality as well as ethics and scholarship. Excellence in physical fitness and spiritual fervor just as much as excellence in relationships and craftsmanship.
Since it is the living Lord in the final analysis who appraises our excellence, it is He whom we must please and serve, honor and adore.
1 Peter 2
As Newborn Babes
1Therefore, (A)putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all (B)slander, 2(C)like newborn babies, long for the (D)pure milk of the word, so that by it you may (E)grow in respect to salvation, 3if you have (F)tasted (G)the kindness of the Lord.
As Living Stones
4And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been (H)rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5(I)you also, as living stones, are being built up as a (J)spiritual house for a holy (K)priesthood, to (L)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6For this is contained in Scripture:
”(M)BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A (N)PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
7(O)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “(P)THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS (Q)REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,” 8 and,
”(R)A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;
(S)for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, (T)and to this doom they were also appointed.
9But you are (U)A CHOSEN RACE, A royal (V)PRIESTHOOD, A (W)HOLY NATION, (X)A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you (Y)out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10(Z)for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
11(AA)Beloved, (AB)I urge you as (AC)aliens and strangers to abstain from (AD)fleshly lusts which wage (AE)war against the soul. 12(AF)Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they (AG)slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, (AH)glorify God (AI)in the day of [a]visitation.
How do you spell - upset?
OK, small tear on my face… the Giants just lost. Bummer, all of my teams are out. Missed field goals… interceptions… bad calls. It’s over. Anyway I am happy for our friend Kurt Warner and the Cardinals. Who would have ever thought Arizona would be hosting a championship game with and 8-8 record - just two weeks ago. So goes the NFL. I did find it challenging last night with Arizona playing Carolina because at one time Arizona’s quarterback Kurt Warner and his family were a part of church when he was playing for NYG. But also Carolina’s head coach John Fox and his family were also a part of Bethany when he was an assistant for the Giants. Needless to say both men are great guys and serve God - so I’ve always kept an eye on them. I did feel like Kurt got the short end of the stick while in New York (just my opinion) - but I do want to give a shout out to Kurt - “good job brother”. He is back in MVP form even though a few years older and has shown his critics how good he really is.
Anyway, I never imagined all the upsets would take place. Thus far with one more game to go - the entire playoffs - every game has hinged around turnovers… thus a number of upsets - who would have thunk it? There’s an old saying, “any team in the NFL can beat any other team on a given Sunday”. Sad sometimes; but true.
2009 “Extraordinary Verse”
This is the verse I have personally chosen for the year as I believe for the extraordinary. Grab on - it’s that good…
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20)
This week we launched our 2009 initiative for Spiritual Growth. I have also had several people ask if I could post the main points to follow in our pursuit, so those who need to remember them can refer to the blog - but also for those who were not at church or friends who live across the country and world.
Our (my) premise is simple… God is not ordinary… his Kingdom is not ordinary and every thing God is and stands for is extraordinary. When the religious leaders called the Apostles Peter and John “unschooled and ordinary men” - well they could not have been more wrong. After all hadn’t these men just been used of God in a miracle? When a man who has been crippled from birth stands up and walks - better yet dances through the temple isn’t it fair to say that was anything but ordinary but kind of “extraordinary”? Of course. So let’s just say, it’s obvious that God wants us to move into the extraordinary in our lives. So how do we start?
First, let’s begin with: (1) An Extraordinary Encounter. The key to the disciples miracle was the encounter with the Holy Spirit they had just experienced (Acts 2). To walk in the extraordinary it means we must encounter the “Extraordinary ONE” - The Holy Spirit.
Next we need (2) Extraordinary Guidance. These men had tapped into hearing the voice of God and being sensitive to his supernatural guidance. Our God is a God of divine appointments - so we need to believe the Spirit wants to “guide us” into amazing exploits for him. Further we to be on the watch for (3) Extraordinary Circumstances. The story is Acts 3 is about a man who had been crippled since birth and yet the followers of Jesus had more than likely walked past this man at the Temple many times. It made me wonder how many people we ‘walk by” every day and are not sensitive the circumstances of life they are in and how God might want to use us - just like he did the apostles to make a difference. Lastly, if any of this is going to happen it will require on our behalf an (4) Extraordinary Pursuit of God. We have to get serious with our time, priorities and everything else about not letting anything keeping us from the delight of pursuing God. So this is where we start this week. No matter where we live we can pursuit God will all our hearts starting this week. Let’s go for it!
If you are interested in hearing the whole message you can pick it up at www.bethanywyckoff.org
