Thursday, June 17, 2010

prayer request

A prayer request to pass on - if you can, please keep this young man in prayer...



Our dear friends Lil and Steward's daughter Laurie is in a fight for her life. We claim healing for her body; we ask God to give her doctors wisdom and strength for her family.
One of the high school students who visited our youth activities occasionally, was to graduate this week. He had made some positive changes in his young life and was looking forward to the future. Last weekend he stopped to talk to a friend and was confronted by some gang members. While James ran from the gang members he was struck by a car and is in critical condition, with the possibility of losing one of his eyes.
Reports like James, makes us want to do so much more for all of our youth. We must be even more intentional in seeking ways to bring the love of Christ to every one. We must do all we can to rebuild our families. Each of us must commit ourselves, daily, to be a healing agent, a reflection of light in a dark world.
Please, keep praying until something happens!

We Humbly Request,
Pastor Joe and Gwynn Browne
Faith in Christ Ministries 323-291-9636

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Why you should eat breakfast before church


"Honey, Honey! I think I'm having another hallucination! This time its Moses. or maybe Elijah. No, its Moses! He's taunting me with a piece of manna! Moses is taunting me with a piece of manna, honey! Wait, lemme make sure its not real. Moses! Moses, if you real, give me some of the manna! Moses, give me a piece of the manna. please.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Sigh

Here are some random thoughts moving thru the head.....


i am SICK of being confused............. God, help me use theses gifts in a way that brings glory to you..........Help me WANT to bring glory to you............................

I am sick of Christianese and bumber stickers.....there is truth in them but i want something real....

I thank GOD that I dont always have to "feel it" ..........................Help me love everyone from the body of Christ to the unsaved to the unlovely, be they saved or unsaved...........................

Help me stand.............help me live in this world............

Help me not harden my heart to people in my life who i have been blessed with before, whether they understand what i am going thru or not......

Help me not be overwhelmed with all the christian activity around me..... and that i wont feel like i must do everything! .....but if im disobedient.. deal with me....


Im tired of being scared.......

Monday, April 19, 2010

HE IS HOLY.

Nothing.

Else.

Matters.
2 Corinthians 12: And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Even in our infirmities, sicknesses, depressions, weaknesses, unfair situations and needs are a reason to boast in, that is to be proud of and rejoice in, Christ Jesus. These afflictions prove that we are loved and being made humble for His sake and so that we can see that we have nothing and never had anything and He is the Powerful One. When we see Him work despite our powerlessness, we , and others, see Him in a much greater light. He gets more glory.

2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Our weaknesses are a chance for us to recognize that 1) We are loved – only God’s children are disciplined to become stronger –

Hebrews 12:5,6 - And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."

And also 2) Our weaknesses show that we can look to a God who is strong no matter what happens to us

Psalm 121:1,2 - I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- From whence comes my help? My help [comes] from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

SO we can boast in the fact that we suck. We can literally say, ‘I’m jacked up, I’m a mess, I can’t do this, I’m going through it; that means I can trust Jesus to be perfect for me like He SAID He would.”

Friday, April 09, 2010

You are nothing.




Cj and Dandruff.

One of the most freeing realities that i have come to grasp and try to hold on to is the fact that I am nothing and neither are you.

Dont run away yet. You are worth something to the Almighty God. Your soul is worth something to Him but the only reason it is worth someting is because, the Almighty has died for your soul.

There has only been one Man who was pleasing to God, and that Man was God. Because He died as a substitute for all men, the only human sacrifice that matters is His, and everyone that associates with Him.

It frees you from having to 'be something', as in trying to be pleasing to God by yourself.

It frees you from feeling like you have to judge other people, because you are both equally nothing. Both of you are beggars, both have earned last place.

It frees you from feeling like you have failed God. Duh. We have all failed Him. But One, namely, Christ Jesus, has suceeded.

And thats why these 4th graders proudly and happily call each other 'Nothing'

Hi.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." -Jeremiah 17:7.

Monday, March 08, 2010

CJ and them

Click to make em bigger





Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Sacrifice of Abel

Genesis 4:1-5

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD."
Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, b
ut He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

I'll be honest, this verse has rocked me, the whole nature of the sacrifices we offer to God. The Bible says that it is possible to offer sacrifices that God does not even look at (Isaiah 1:11). Why didnt God respect Cain's sacrifice? Why Abel's? It appears that God has given us many other verses and principles in the Bible to explain.

When i was a kid, I used to think that God just didnt like fruit, but that is not the case and there is actually alot more to why Abel's sacrifice was respected and Cain's wasn't.

We live before a God that has commanded offering and sacrifice and yet at the same time, He is worthy of offering and sacrifice. In our lives today, we as Christians come before the Lord and offer offerings to Him, sometimes money or possesions, time, activities, ministries etc. The question is, 'what does God want?

I wont lie, this can be a struggle with me. I want to offer Him what pleases Him, there is no feeling I have ever known better than the feeling of knowing that God is pleased. The Church, especially in this age in our country, can get really ritualistic, we can just do the same things over and over and not really be walking in a real relationship. Christianity is knowing God, real and active relationship, anything other than that is just a joke and a routine.

What is Abel's sacrifice? I hope to write about it more in a series of posts....

Lord, please help us...

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Gospel Train

Find this song on Youtube if you havn't heard it: The Gospel Train (marian anderson's version is my current favorite)

The Gospel train’s a’comin’. I hear it just at hand. I hear the car wheel rumblin’And rollin’ thro’ the land.

Get on board little children! Get on board little children! Get on board little children! There's room for many or more!

I hear the train a’comin.'She's comin' round the curve.She's loosened all her steam and brakes And strainin' ev'ry nerve!

Get on board little children! Get on board little children! Get on board little children! There's room for many or more!

The fare is cheap and all can go, The rich and poor are there. No second class aboard this train, No difference in the fare.
Get on board little children! Get on board little children! Get on board little children! There's room for many or more!


What lyrics! I just read that this was used as a sort of "code song" to American slaves to tip them that a group was ready to head out to freedom. This does not hide the glory of Gospel in this song.
Imagine kids (i do) running to a train. They are all different, Some rich, some poor, some do cartwheels, some run fast, some look behind them in fear, some are unsure if this is legit but a courage and faith drives them on. They jump onto the train and hang out of the windows to yell and encourage others to come on. Some hang on the side like fools.

Hear the last verse: "The fare is cheap and all can go," Christ Jesus, The Holy one has payed for the ticket with His life and that, though not cheap for Him, He extends His "Yoke" to us in love joyfully and to us it is "easy" and "light". He has bought the tickets and bids men, as He did in Jerusalem, to come on.

"The rich and poor are there, no second class aboard this train, no difference in the fare!"
Might I say with joy as I have been for about a day, "We are all nothing and He is Perfect!" His perfection, His Glory(God help me remember that), His Holiness, His Self is the goodness and rightness. We are all equal and are found righteous IN HIM. God help me not look down on others ESPECIALLy in the Household of faith. In reality were all dirty little kids and we can love each other in Him.

I like the last line of the chorus: "There's room for many or more!"
There is room! Like children, lets compel men. God help us, may we run like those kids in my head.

"Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heartand you will find rest for your souls.For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Matthew 11:28 - 30 - (READ THIS VERSE!)

God wants a heart

God wants a heart. Just a heart that knows it is loved because of Him. A heart that has not "left its first love" Rev 2:4. The first love is always Christ Jesus. He saved us. He stood in my place and stands in my place and IS Love. The first fruits of realizing Him are always a one of a kind thankfulness, joy and peace. These things cant be described, only experienced. Well, maybe it is like whe you first have a crush who has mutual feelings. Your thoughts are always on that one. You are raptured at the sound of their voice and their face.

This is being born again. This is relationship.

You + Jesus. This is what God wants. Everything else is a response ot this. Im thinking, Just drink it in.

God help us and thank Him for the oppurtunity.

It's just Grace

I have a friend that was talking about another friend and describing this friend she said that he often says:

"Its Grace, Its Just Grace."

In other words, Why are WE, as wretched as we are, saved?, How can all this be true? How can it be so simple to receive? How? Why is there God and us?

"Its just Grace, its just Grace."

Sometimes theres just no words. Sometimes I think too much. But Jesus said, " Unless you be like a little child you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Not a direct paraphrase.) To believe is to trust God and sometimes we just have to trust God even when we can't fathom.
I have a rough mutt-like dog that lives in my grandfather's back yard and it is not great at taking commands. It needs to be trained to listen to my WORDS. In that way, we need to be trained to listen to GOD'S words. To His WORD. I feel like I had alot more thoughts that flowed in my brain easier but it boils down to this: His Word is truth. The scripture is God's words, expressions. laws. thoughts. commands. What He has to say. Why do we get it? Grace.

its just Grace. Please let me be humble to accept that Gift.

I'm in this strange process of waiting. Sometimes I'm not sure what I'm waiting for. Here's one I was happy to get:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. "
Proverbs 3:5

I wish i had taken a picture of when it was just now raining. (Its stormin In CA by the way. That means Compton too.) I had to run across the street and I felt like a little kid and I knew He was making it rain. Man, to feel like that always.
Still here. Still made to know God, just like you.

"Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart

and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."