Heaven Pt. 32

Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them. And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone: The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye [are] this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. Deut. 1:8-10 KJV

I am reminded by these verses that most of God’s promises are good only as far as we will walk into them. The Lord fulfilled the promise He made to Abraham. The Israelites had grown from a “mom and pop” organization into an exceedingly great multitude. God had given them the land He  had sworn to their forefather. But they had to go into the land. They had to possess it! They had to take a step of faith.

God had equipped them, grown them and now He was ready to establish them but before they could access the power of Heaven they had to respond to his command and actually go into Canaan.

What promise from Heaven is waiting for you today? Rise up and possess it by faith.

Let’s pray: Dear Lord I know you have heard my prayer and I know what promise I am waiting for. Today Father show me what practical step of faith I have to take in order to possess the promise You have shown me. Give me strength Lord to take that step. Let me find You waiting there to catch me when I make it. In Jesus Name A-men

Pastor Wrinkles: Chapter Charts Pt. 62

Do you believe God has a job for everyone? Is there a task given to each man…each woman which only they can fulfill? If that is so what happens when a person does not do their God-given job? I have been wondering about this as I look through Numbers 4 for today’s chapter charts. What do you think?

Here are a few of the lessons I saw in chapter 4 and 5 of Numbers.

Numbers chapter 4 sermon topics/titles:

1. Have You Discovered Your God-Given Burden? Nu. 45: 1-49

2.  Carry The Load But Do Not Touch It! Nu. 4:1-20

3. Many Hands Make Light Work: Nu. 4:34-49

Numbers chapter 5 sermon topics/ titles:

1. Do Not Defile: Nu. 5: 1-4

2. Making Amends: Nu. 5:5-10

3. Is Jealousy Okay? Nu. 5: 11-31

Now you try!

Pastor Wrinkles: Chapter Charts Pt. 61

Mandy, a new reader, caught a rather egregious error of mine in a post I had written about a year ago. The error came in regards to time-line in the book of Numbers . Small oversights can cause radical changes in interpretation!

The chapter charts are helpful with bringing the Scripture into sharper focus so errors like this don’t occur. Would that I had charted the work back then! I shall be rewriting “From Shittim to Gilgal” I think. Thanks Mandy! In the meantime here are some things I saw in Numbers Chapter 2 and 3.

Numbers chapter 2 sermon topics and titles:

1. God has a specific way: Nu. 2: 1-34

2. Is it a Divine Sentence? Nu. 2:1-34

3. Praise First On the List: Nu. 2:3,4

Numbers chapter 3 sermon topics/titles:

1. Remember the Mistakes of the Past So They Won’t Be Repeated: Nu. 3: 1-3

2. Anointed for Obligation: Nu. 3: 5-10

3. The Redemptive Life: Nu. 3:40-51

Tell me what speaks to you from these chapters.

C.cada: New Artist

Here is one the new artists involved in C.cada.  Evan Foisy has just recently become part of our church and on his birthday no less blessed us with his testimony about God’s amazing grace!  I hope this blesses you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO5Jg4lUSt0&feature=youtu.be

Oh and just so’s you know, If any of you happen to be traveling through Northern Massachusetts during the time of one of our meetings and you want to come and play with our artists you have an open invite! Just give me a heads up and we’ll have lunch together!

Heaven Pt. 31

“And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:” Lev. 26:18,19 KJV

I was talking with another member of our staff today about the lengths God will go to in order to get our attention.

Contrary to what many people think God is not out to get us. What He really wants is for us to get Him or to “hearken unto Him.”

People think judgment is all about God’s wrath but really it’s about His mercy in the midst of wrath. God does not desire to shut up Heaven against anyone. He is not especially pleased to swipe away the blessing from a person’s life. Nevertheless, He will do it if somehow that will bring us back onto the pathway that leads to Him. When it comes to a choice between a person’s eternal destination and their comfort eternity wins out every time.

While we are quick to believe the level of our pain indicates the level of God’s callousness more often it indicates the level of His love in reaction to our callousness.

As people around us become harder to the things of God we can expect that God will reflect his love and mercy in their lives through hardship and judgment. Let us be a voice that urges people to return to the sanctuary of God for a future and a hope!

Let’s pray: God I know you never shut up Heaven in judgment against a person without a reason. We know that in judgment you do remember mercy and that mercy is your goal continually. Use me God to encourage those I see struggling because of sin to come into your merciful and loving arms once again through repentance! In Jesus name A-men!

C.cada Weekend

Yesterday was our monthly meeting of C.cada, Cornerstone’s artist community. I am so excited by what is happening through this fledgling group of musicians, painters and poets!

This month we began our spring choir and spring instrumental groups. They are getting ready to minister in our church and in a community concert sometime in May.

Meanwhile our graphic artists and poets are working on an outreach program designing  greeting cards to minister to people in our community, and one of our artists

is working on a painting to be sold at a Teen Challenge auction.

The ladies who work in fabric, our prayer shawl ministry, just sent 30 prayer shawls to India to minister to ladies being set free from human trafficking! Hallelujah!

And two of our musicians are working on music projects hoping to go to recording soon!

I am so humbled by what God has done with us in less than a year! Thank you Jesus! May Your kingdom be built! May souls be won!

Here is one of the songs we will do for our spring concert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgQ98x1CAF4

Heaven Pt. 30

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it] for ever. EX. 32:13

The Milky Way Galaxy is but one galaxy in the universe and it is estimated to contain somewhere between 200-400 billion stars! One of the things that says about our God is that He is a God of abundance. When He promised to bless Abraham and multiply his off-spring as the stars in the sky it was a staggering promise even without today’s technology. But God did it! He remembered His promise! The God of abundance has prospered Abraham’s family even though Satan, the dragon of Scripture has done everything in his power to stop it.

As God promised abundance for Israel, so he promises the same for all those who follow Him: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.” John 10:10

The promise is sure. So is Satan’s attempt to stop that blessing from flowing. But this I know about God. When once He sets his mind to something it shall be done.

Let’s pray: God I recognize you as a God of abundance! I also recognize you as the One who wishes to bless me! Father I open myself to that blessing. Help me to fight with You for it. Help me to push out everything that seeks to starve the blessing. Help me to open myself to all the things that nourish and grow Your blessing in my life!