Today was a very good day.  It started out helping a friend move his house from about 9.30am until 2.00pm.  Then we came back to the house to get prepared for our Thanksgiving Dinner.  We were blessed to have some friends join us for the meal including Steve and April Baker who were here last Thanksgiving as well.  They are great friends and a real blessing to us.  We enjoyed ham, turkey, chicken, broccoli casserole, scalloped potatoes, asparagus and cheese, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, and a lot of other great food!

I am so thankful for all that the Lord has done for me, for saving me, for giving me a wonderful wife and great children, for allowing me to serve Him here in Northern Ireland, for great friends and family, for a wonderful church family, and for so many blessings.

I hope that you had a wonderful day.  The Lord daily loads us with many benefits, and may we take time to thank and appreciate Him.

2 Chronicles 6:14 “And said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven nor in the earth..”

Today is the American Thanksgiving holiday. It is a special day to praise and thank God for all that He is and all that He hath done. As I was reading in 2 Chronicles 6 today, I wanted to just do some bragging on what a great God we serve. Here are a few thinks about God that we see in this chapter.

1. God keeps His Word. (2 Chron 6:4 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his hans fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David…”) See also 2 Chronicles 6:10 and 6:17.
2. God is unique in His relationships with people. 2 Chronicles 6:14 tells us that He keeps covenant (agreement with men) and shows mercy unto his servants. Unlike the false gods who change the rules, are inconsistent, moody, and irrational, God is a God who is consistent, unchanging, compassionate, merciful, and personal. We can have a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
3. God is so great that heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. (2 Chron 6:18) No building or temple can contain our God. He is not a carved image or piece of wood, metal, or stone. He is a living God who is greater than the entire universe and solar system. He holds it all in the palm of His hand.
4. God knows our hearts (2 Chron 6:30). God only knows the hearts of the all men. He sees what is going on in our thoughts, our hearts, and our minds. He is not impressed by external and superficial righteousness. He desires truth in the inward parts.

I am so glad that I know and serve a God who can keep His Word, a God who desires a relationship with me, a God who is so great that the heavens cannot contain Him, and a God who knows my heart and can make it clean!

Pastor Austin Gardner wrote a good article on his blog about a Vintage Church.  Read the article below:

Clay Reed (Southlake Baptist Church) uses a term that I really like for their new church plant, vintage. You can read all that he wrote about it in part one and part two from his blog. Below are some excerpts that I think are very fitting to our church.

All the following comes from these two articles. I have sought for ways to describe the type of church that I want us to be and think that he does a great job in these two posts. Read and ask questions.

“In a world dizzy with change, people have a deep-seated need to immerse themselves in something ancient and transcendent. Unfortunately, all some churches offer is a splash in whatever hip new trend happens to be stylish. And while that kind of worship can draw a crowd, the heart cries out for something deeper and more authentic.

I like the word “Vintage,” because it says our church is connected with the best of the past.

Not everything from the past, of course, is worth keeping. Not everything is “Vintage.” Some things, over time, wear out. They get stale. They get weak and outdated. They go out of style.

But some things stand the test of time. Classics. They stay strong. They transcend the ages. They’re Vintage.

When we say we are “Vintage” Christians, we conjure up the very best of our past – all the way back to Jesus Christ himself. Strong theology. A strong sense of loving community. A mission emphasis with a call to a crucified life.

Vintage is not a little wade in the kiddie pool of hip, feel-good religion. Vintage is not a passing fad; it is timeless.

Vintage says, “I’m not trying to reinvent Christianity with cheap innovations.” Vintage speaks to a historic body of Bible truth and biblical practice that we treasure, honor, and preserve so it can be handed on to the next generation. Vintage is firmly anchored in God’s Word and Baptist traditions.”

Vintage describes a time-tested theology. Its roots are deep in Scripture – relevant in all generations because it is based on the timeless, unchanging truth of the Gospel. It is a theology passed on to us by our fathers. It is based on something far more profound than feelings or fads. It is very old and very, very deep.

As Baptists, we profess a living faith, a heritage rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” The sole authority for our faith and practice is the Jesus Christ whose will is revealed in Scripture.

Vintage evokes a strong sense of community. It says our church family endeavors to connect with each other, to encourage one another as we continue the mission Jesus began. Over the past quarter century, America has experienced a significant loss of community. In many ways, churches have reduced people to numbers, while Christ commanded us to love people as neighbors.

Vintage speaks to a need for authentic Christianity – Aren’t you tired of the show? Shouldn’t there be somewhere we can go every week that isn’t a performance? A place where we can hear the truth and find real answers? We believe people are looking for a place to hear God’s honest Truth, spoken in love, without the pretense or ritual of empty religion.

Vintage speaks to the need for a simpler Christianity. We live in an over-programmed world. In some ways, this attitude has crept in to our churches. We contribute to the hectic pace of life, rather than giving frazzled people a calm place to encounter the Living God and experience community with one another.

Vintage is timeless and relevant to all generations. We will endeavor to apply the timeless truths of Scripture in timely ways to the challenges of everyday life. It does not grow stale like man-made religion or human philosophy. It is fresh and timeless.

A living faith must experience a growing understanding of truth and be continually interpreted and related to the needs of each new generation. Throughout their history, Baptist bodies – both large and small – have issued statements of faith that succinctly describe a consensus of their beliefs.

2 Chronicles 1:7 “In that night did God appear unto Solomon, an said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.”

Solomon has just become king of Israel.  He offered a thousand burnt offerings upon the brasen altar at the tabernacle.  That night, God appeared to him and told him, “Ask what I shall give thee.”  This was basically a blank cheque, signed by God!

If God was to tell you that you could have whatever you wanted, what would you ask for?  Money?  Power?  Possessions? Pleasure?  Health? It is really hard to know what we would say, but whatever comes to mind is a good indicator of where our heart and priorities are.

Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to know how to lead and govern the people.  God granted him his requests and also gave him riches, wealth, and honour in addition to the wisdom and knowledge that he wanted.  Solomon was young, yet he valued the right thing – wisdom.  According to Proverbs 8:11, “Wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”

The right answer to the question, “What do you most want?” is still the same today – WISDOM!  Wisdom is what we should most desire because it begins with knowing God and it leads to life eternal.

1 Chronicles 29:14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort?  for all things came of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.”

David is at the end of his reign.  He has made much preparation for Solomon spiritually, financially, and organisationally.  He is praising God for His greatness and power.  Then, David thanks God that he and his people have the privilege to be able to make an offering to God.

I don’t know if it has ever occurred to you that it is a privilege to serve God, give to the work of God, and invest in God’s kingdom.  Why is it a privilege to offer to God?

1. Because everything we have comes from God.  If we have something to offer God, it means that God has been to good to us in the first place.
2. Because God has done so much for us.  It is so good to be able to do something nice for someone who has done a lot for us.  God has done so much; what a privilege to be able to give back to Him our lives, our time, and our treasure.
3. Because God has put a willing desire in our heart.  When it comes time to give to the work of God, we should do so willingly.  If we want to give to God, then that desire is itself a work of God.  Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
4. Because we love the Lord.  It is hard to love without wanting to give.  We love the Lord, and we are privileged to be able to express our love by giving an offering to Him.

God, thank You so much for allowing us to privilege to offering willingly our lives, our time, and our money to You and Your service!

1 Chronicles 22:5 “And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.”

One of the most magnificent structures ever built was Solomon’s Temple.  We call the Temple Solomon’s because he is the one who built it.  People from all over the world came to see it’s beauty and greatness.  It was indeed a mighty work.

With all of the beauty and grandeur of the temple, it might have been easy to forget all of the preparation that went into the building of the temple.  David prepared long before Solomon became king.  He gathered 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, so much brass and iron that it could not be weighed, as well as timber and stone (22:14).  He also prepared workmen in abundance (22:15), and he challenged the leaders of Israel to help Solomon (22:17).

Even though the building of the temple was a huge undertaking for Solomon, who was a relatively new and young king, the task was made much, much easier because his father David had already made so many preparations.

Here is the application for us:

1. Who has prepared the way for you? Probably you are reaping the efforts, prayers, and work of many other people that you may have forgotten about.  Take some time to thank God for those who have gone before, who have planted and watered so that you would reap a harvest, and who have invested many years of seemingly unrewarded effort.  Whose shoulders are you standing on?  Why don’t you write them a letter and thank them for what they have done.
2. What preparation are you making for others? Life is short, and soon the next generation will be taking over the leadership of our nations, churches, and homes.  What preparations are you making for them?  How are you investing in them?  What Godly heritage will you leave behind?  You can have a part right now of making the next generation a success, and their success will be your success.

I am so thankful for those who have prepared the way for me – my parents, my pastors over the years, my coaches, teachers, youth leaders, friends, and others.  I hope that God will help me to invest in the next generation and leave a lasting legacy.

1 Chronicles 19:13 “Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the Lord do that which is good in his sight.”

We live in a time of great fear and cowardice.  Few people are willing to take a courageous stand for God.  Few Christians will boldy witness.  Few people are willing to face the rejection and ridicule of their friends if they were to get saved.  No one wants to be seen as a fanatic or a zealous follower of Jesus.

May this words of this verse be like an injection of courage into our hearts.  Joab is giving a pre-battle speech to his men.  He is trying to motivate them to go boldly into the battle.  He says:

“Be of good courage” - Courage is the strength of heart that gives us strength of body.  It is the motivation to go out into battle.  We need courage.  We need a strong heart and mind.  Great courage comes from great faith.  Let us focus our hearts and minds on Christ and allow His courage and power to flood our lives.

“Let us behave ourselves valiantly” - Inward strength will result in outward strength.  If we are weak outwardly, it is because we are weak inwardly.  If we are weak in our character, we will be weak in our conduct.  We need to behave ourselves courageously, so we need to strengthen our inner man so that our outer man can go forth into battle without fear or flight.

“For our people, and for the cities of our God” – The motivation to go forth valiantly was because of our people.  People’s lives are at stake.  Our families are on the line.  They need men who will stand up with great courage and live for God.  Joab also rallied the troops with “for the cities of our God.”  God’s name is on the line as well.  We are his people.  We carry His name.  Let us live and act like children of the king.

“Let the Lord do that which is good in his sight” - No matter what the outcome, the Lord is in control.  Our desire should be that He does what is good in his sight.  No doubt some of Israel’s men died that day.  God was still good and still on the throne.  He chose to be honoured in their death rather than in their life.  Let us do our part, and let God do His part.  We just go forth with courage and leave the results up to Him.

On Friday and Saturday, we moved house from the house that we have been in for the last three years.  As our family and ministry have grown, we began to look for a larger house.  We are mostly moved in and thanking the Lord for providing a larger house to rent.  We wanted to sell our other house, but the market is not very good right now, so we are just going to rent it out.

Thank you to those who helped us with the move.  We have been kinda busy with the move, but we are looking forward to getting back into the ministry full-time next week.

I am excited about preaching from Ephesians today.  What an amazing thing to realise who we are in Christ!  You are going to enjoy the truth God gives us in this book.

What can happen in 48 hours?  To put it simply, the world can change. Think back just a few years, things were different from the morning of September 10, 2001 to the morning of September 12, 2001. People thought differently, lives were changed, and the world has never been the same.

It’s not much longer till the start of the Our Generation Summit. It will be two days of life challenging preaching and teaching from preachers like Austin Gardner, Tony Howeth, Ronald Tubillas and Trent Cornwell. Hear and spend time with missionaries from all over the world like Tyler Masters (North Africa), Kevin Hall (South Africa), and more!

These 48 hours can change your life, cause you to think differently but ultimately can affect the world for God’s glory! Deadline to register for the Our Generation Summit is December 3. Go towww.OGSummit.info to register and for more information. You don’t want to miss this!

My Heart, Christ’s Home by Robert Boyd Munger

One Evening I invited Jesus Christ into my heart. What an entrance He made! It was not a spectacular, emotional thing, but very real. Something happened at the very center of my life. He came into the darkness of my heart and turned on the light. He built a fire on the hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there has been stillness, and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship. I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will.

In the joy of this new relationship I said to Jesus Christ, “Lord, I want this heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have You settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to You. Let me show you around.”

The Study

The first room was the study – the library. In my home this room of the mind is a very small room with very thick walls. But it is a very important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the house. He entered with me and looked around at the books in the bookcase, the magazines upon the table, the pictures on the walls. As I followed His gaze I became uncomfortable.

Strangely, I had not felt self-conscious about this before, but now that He was there looking at these things I was embarrassed. Some books were there that His eyes were too pure to behold. On the table were a few magazines that a Christian had no business reading. As for the pictures on the walls – the imaginations and thoughts of the mind – some of these were shameful.

Red-faced, I turned to Him and said, “Master, I know that this room needs to be cleaned up and made over. Will You help me make it what it ought to be?

“Certainly!” He said, “I’m glad to help you. First of all, take all the things that you are reading and looking at which are not helpful, pure, good and true, and throw them out! Now put on the empty shelves the books of the Bible. Fill the library with Scripture and meditate on it day and night.

As for the pictures on the walls, you will have difficulty controlling these images, but I have something that will help.” He gave me a full-sized portrait of Himself. “Hang this centrally,” He said, “on the wall of the mind.”

I did, and I have discovered through the years that when my thoughts are centered upon Christ Himself, His purity and power cause impure thoughts to back away. So He has helped me to bring my thoughts under His control.

The Dining Room

From the study we went into the dining room, the room of appetites and desires. I spent a lot of time and hard work here trying to satisfy my wants.

I said to Him, “This is a favorite room. I am quite sure You will be pleased with what we serve.

He seated Himself at the table with me and asked, “What is on the menu for dinner?” “Well,” I said, “my favorite dishes: money, academic degrees and stocks, with newspaper articles of fame and fortune as side dishes.” These where the things I liked – secular fare.

When the food was placed before Him, He said nothing, but I observed that He did not eat it. I said to Him, “Master, don’t you care for this food? What is the trouble?”

He answered, “I have food to eat that you do not know of. If you want food that really satisfies you, do the will of the Father. Stop seeking your own pleasures, desires, and satisfaction. Seek to please Him. The food will satisfy you.”

There at the table He gave me a taste of the joy of doing God’s will. What flavor! There is no food like it in all the world. It alone satisfies.

The Living Room

From the dining room we walked into the living room. This room was intimate and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere.

He said, “This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together.”

Well, as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in close companionship.

He promised, “I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together.”

So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible from the case. We would open it and read together. He would unfold to me the wonder of God’s saving truths. My heart sang as He shared the love and the grace He had toward me. These were wonderful times.

However, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened. Why, I’m not sure. I thought I was too busy to spend regular time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand. It just happened that way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss days now and then. Urgent matters would crowd out the quiet times of conversation with Jesus.

I remember one morning rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. I passed the living room and noticed that the door was open.

Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself, “He is my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as my Savior and Friend, and yet I am neglecting Him.”

I stopped, turned and hesitantly went in. With downcast glance, I said, “Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?”

“Yes,” He said, “I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost. I value your fellowship. Even if you cannot keep the quiet time for your own sake, do it for mine.”

The truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He wants me to be with Him and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don’t let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find time when, with your Bible and in prayer, you may be together with Him

The Workroom

Before long, He asked, “Do you have a workroom in your home?” Out in the garage of the home of my heart I had a workbench and some equipment, but I was not doing much with it. Once in a while I would play around with a few little gadgets, but I wasn’t producing anything substantial.

I led Him out there. He looked over the workbench and said, “Well, this is quite well furnished. What are you producing with your life for the Kingdom of God?” He looked at one or two little toys that I had thrown together on the bench and held one up to me. “Is this the sort of thing you are doing for others in your Christian life?”

“Well,” I said, “Lord, I know it isn’t much, and I really want to do more, but after all, I don’t seem to have strength or skill to do more.”

“Would you like to do better?” He asked.

“Certainly,” I replied.

“All right. Let me have your hands. Now relax in me and let my Spirit work through you. I know that you are unskilled, clumsy and awkward, but the Holy Spirit is the Master Workman, and if He controls your hands and your heart, He will work through you.” Stepping around behind me and putting His great, strong hands under mine, He held the tools in His skilled fingers and began to work through me. The more I relaxed and trusted Him, the more He was able to do with my life.

The Rec Room

He asked me if I had a rec room where I went for fun and fellowship. I was hoping He would not ask about that. There were certain associations and actives that I wanted to keep for myself.

One evening when I was on my way out with some of my buddies, He stopped me with a glance and asked, “Are you going out?”

I replied, “Yes.”

“Good,” He said, “I would like to go with you.”

“Oh,” I answered rather awkwardly. “I don’t think, Lord Jesus, that You would really enjoy where we are going. Let’s go out together tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we will go to a Bible class at church, but tonight I have another appointment.”

“I’m sorry,” He said. “I thought that when I came into your home, we were going to do everything together, to be close companions. I just want you to know that I am willing to go with you.”

“Well,” I mumbled, slipping out the door, “we will go someplace together tomorrow night.

” That evening I spent some miserable hours. I felt rotten. What kind of friend was I to Jesus, deliberately leaving Him out of my life, doing things and going places that I knew very well He would not enjoy?

When I returned that evening, there was a light in His room, I went up to talk it over with Him. I said, “Lord, I have learned my lesson. I know now that I can’t have a good time without You. From now on, we will do everything together.”

Then we went down into the rec room of the house. He transformed it. He brought new friends, new excitement, new joys. Laughter and music have been ringing through the house ever since.

The Hall Closet

One day I found Him waiting for me at the door. An arresting look was in His eye. As I entered, He said to me, “There is a peculiar odor in the house. Something must be dead around here. It’s upstairs. I think it is in the hall closet.”

As soon as He said this, I knew what He was talking about. There was a small closet up there on the hall landing, just a few feet square. In that closet, behind lock and key, I had one or two little personal things that I did not want anyone to know about. Certainly, I did not want Christ to see them. I knew they were dead and rotting things left over from my old life. I wanted them so for myself that I was afraid to admit they were there.

Reluctantly, I went up with Him, and as we mounted the stairs the odor became stronger and stronger. He pointed to the door. I was angry. That’s the only way I can put it. I had given Him access to the library, the dining room, the living room, the workroom, the rec room, and now He was asking me about a little two-by-four closet. I said to myself, “This is too much! I am not going to give Him the key.”

“Well,” He said, reading my thoughts, “if you think I’m going to stay up here on the second floor with this smell, you are mistaken. I will go out on the porch.” Then I saw Him start down the stairs.

When one comes to know and love Christ, the worst thing that can happen is to sense Him withdrawing His fellowship. I had to give in.

“I’ll give you the key,” I said sadly, “but You will have to open the closet and clean it out. I haven’t the strength to do it.”

“Just give me the key,” He said. “Authorize me to take care of that closet and I will.”

With trembling fingers I passed the key to Him. He took it, walked over to the door, opened it, entered, took out all the putrefying stuff that was rotting in there, and threw it away. Then He cleaned the closet and painted it. It was done in a moment’s time. Oh, what victory and release to have that dead thing out of my life!

Transferring the Title

A thought came to me. “Lord, is there any chance that You would take over the management of the whole house and operate it for me as You did that closet? Would You take the responsibility to keep my life what it ought to be?”

His face lit up as He replied, “I’d love to! That is what I want to do. You cannot be a victorious Christian in your own strength. Let me do it through you and for you. That is the way.” “But,” He added slowly, “I am just a guest. I have no authority to proceed, since the property is not mine.”

Dropping to my knees, I said, “Lord, You have been a guest and I have been the host. From now on I am going to be the servant. You are going to be the owner and Master.”

Running as fast as I could to the strongbox, I took out the title deed to the house describing its assets and liabilities, location and situation. I eagerly signed the house over to Him alone for time and eternity. “Here,” I said, “here it is, all that I am and have, forever. Now You run the house. I’ll just remain with You as a servant and friend.”

Things are different since Jesus Christ has settled down and has made His home in my heart.