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!

Heaven Pt. 29

“Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant. It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:16,17 KJV

We have already discussed how awesome God is by virtue of His marvelous creation. What we could not do with an eternity of time He did in six days; Then He rested. He blessed the day of His rest and made it holy…separate…different from all the rest. He made for himself a day to sit back and revel in the works of His hands. What does God’s resting look like? I don’t know but I am pretty sure that on the Sabbath He did not mow Eden’s lawn. I am pretty sure it was a day of pondering the multi-faceted creation, observing its exquisite beauty, rejoicing in His success, and preparing mentally for the war He was certain lay ahead.

Let’s Pray: Father God I thank you for the Sabbath rest you have given me. Help me not to waste the time of rest and refreshing. Help me to use the day properly to ponder my place in the Kingdom, to observe the blessings You have given me, to revel in the strength Your Holy Spirit puts inside me and to prepare for the tomorrows where the battle still rages until Your day! Bring Your day quickly Lord! In Jesus name! A-men!

Pastor Wrinkles: Chapter Charts Pt. 60

Our chapter charts today straddle two books. We finish Leviticus, the giving of the law at Mount Sinai and we move onto the Census of Numbers, the beginning of Israel’s desert wanderings. Here is what I see in these transitional Scriptures.

Leviticus chapter 27 sermon topics/titles:

1. What Does a Person Cost These Days? Lev. 27:1-13

2. Selling Your Harvest: Lev. 27:14-25

3. You Can’t Give What Is Not Yours: Lev. 27:26

Numbers chapter 1  sermon topics/titles:

1. Counting Your Blessings: Num1: 1-3

2. God is In the Administration Too! Num. 1:1-19

3. Judah Most Blessed: Num 1: 26

Now you try! 🙂

Pastor Wrinkles: Chapter Charts Pt. 59

Our chapter charts today start with the topic of growing things. We haven’t had much of a winter here in New England and now my thoughts are turning towards putting my gardens to rights for the spring planting. I’m getting all caught up in the law of sowing and reaping. Here’s what I see In Leviticus 25 and 26.

Leviticus chapter 25 sermon topics/titles:

1. Productive rest: Lev. 25:1-7

2. Knowing When To Withhold the Seed: Lev. 25:1-7

3. Go Back To the Beginning: Lev. 25: 8-54

Leviticus chapter 26 sermon topics/titles: 

1.The Blessings For Obedience: Lev. 26:1-13

2. Curses for Disobedience: Lev. 26:15-39

3. Repentance the Key To Covenant Renewal: 25:40-46

Now you try! 🙂

Heaven Pt. 28

“and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.” Ex. 24:10,11 NKJV

When God destroyed the world by flood in the time of Noah, He also destroyed a part of the creation know as the firmament. Many believe that the firmament was what allowed men to live such long lives before the flood. It’s removal then became the shortening agent God used to fix the times of men at 120 years.

Those who believe the firmament was destroyed during the flood also believe that our ozone layer is what is left of that great  barrier. It is that which turns our sky blue. Perhaps it is also that which the Israelite elders saw separating them and protecting them from God as they approached Him on Mt. Sinai.

They needed that sapphire barrier whatever it was because their bodies couldn’t withstand the brunt of glory. Even Moses was told he could not see the face of God and live. Yet Because of his life of faithfulness God allowed Moses to see “the goodness” pass before Him. That experience left him literally glowing for weeks.

We were singing a song in church this morning called “Shekinah Glory”. The song is a prayer asking for the fullness of God’s presence to come and reveal Himself. As I sang I pondered this verse. I kept asking myself, “What would really happen if the Shekinah glory suddenly showed up in church on Sunday morning? Would I glow? Or would I just turn into a pile of dust?”

I am reminded that there is a work God is doing in me to make me ready for that day when I shall see God as He really is! Oh God make me ready!

Let’s pray: God I am reminded that everything about me is too weak and feeble right now to ever measure up to your glory. I thank you that You are not going to leave me this way. God I open myself for more of Your preparatory work. Make me ready for the day I shall see you! In Jesus name A-men.

Heaven Pt. 27

“And the LORD said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven….”Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you.” Ex. 20:22-24 NLT

What a powerful experience the Jews of the Exodus must have had to hear the voice of God rumble like thunder out of Heaven. How frightening and wonderful to see the cloud and hear the voice, to receive the blessing and hear the promise with their own ears.

As good as that was we have it so much better! I may not hear the audible voice until I reach Heaven. I might not see the cloud and the glory with my eyes until Jesus comes again; But I have the Holy Spirit in me! The voice that shuddered through the atmosphere on that day is the still small voice that leads and guides me from within everyday.

Most of those Jews never heard the voice again. They had to rely on a God-ordained prophet to bring the words of God to them. But now, the Holy Spirit speaks to every Christian that cocks a listening ear in His direction !

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord I know your word says you speak to all your servants who listen for your voice! So speak Lord your servant is listening! Thank you for this awesome privilege! Today I will not only listen, I will obey! In Jesus name A-men.

Award Sundays: King of Kings!

Thank you Jesus and thank you Jonathan at 237 Blessed http://237blessed.wordpress.com/  for nominating me for The King of Kings Friendship Blogger Award! As the creators of this award at http://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/the-king-of-kings-friendship-award/ say this is more of a personal blessing than an award. I choose to receive it as both! 🙂

In my prayer and planning times God has impressed on me that this will be a “year of doubling”. One of the goals God has placed in my heart is to double the readership of “Reinventing the We’ll”. I believe that these nominations are a blessing God will use to open doors towards that goal of greater ministry in the blogosphere!

Many years ago God impressed on me the need to focus on building connections between people in the body of Christ. I never dreamed when I began blogging that I would “meet” so many wonderful brothers and sister. I am most blessed at this occasion to nominate a few of you wonderful co-laborers for this award!

http://drusillamott.wordpress.com/ One of my new reads. Her Inspirational fiction is great!

http://iftodaywehear.wordpress.com/ You probably already know her. She is quite famous and quite deserving of this honor!

And of course

http://tonirand.wordpress.com/ Thanks Ann for all you do!

Be blessed dear readers. See you tomorrow! 🙂

Heaven Pt. 26

“For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex. 20:11 KJV

Oh what a powerful God we serve! In six days He made everything on the Earth and in the Heavens!

 

 

Be my guest and argue whether those were six twenty- four hour periods or six ages of eternity! I don’t care how long you take; Six days or six billion years won’t see you making the likes of this!

 

 

Can you with a word cause the sun to flame into being? Could you speak it forth if I gave you six billion years to talk to it?

 

 

Would you have thought to make the moon a mirror for the sun’s glory given any amount of time? I think the only answer you can come up with is a resounding “NO!”

 

Scientists think they have foiled young earth creationists, proving that because the universe is old we have no need of God!

I do believe God made the Earth and the heavens in six days. Honestly though it doesn’t matter whether we have six days to work with or six billion years. No force of nature could have accidently come up with such intelligent design. Not only could it not have been an accident, it would take a designer with far more savvy than any creative genius currently walking the Earth. We have to acknowledge that the Being who made all this is far…far…far beyond us. If we take it down to a literal six day creation well then our ability to comprehend on any level the power of such an one as this is completely foiled. Just thinking about Him in this respect hurts my pea-brain.

My father use to say He believed there was a God out there somewhere. He told me someday maybe that God would reveal himself to us. My dad didn’t know the Scriptures. He didn’t realize the Designer did reveal Himself. He said:

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3 KJV 

 

 

 

 

 

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalm 19:1 KJV

 

And if ever you may wonder His name even the heavens declare from their farthest reaches He is…    the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:8                                                           

Heaven Pt. 25

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. ” Ex. 20:4,5 NLT

     We humans are always wanting to SEE something of the God we serve. It’s the old “prove to me God exists and I will believe in him routine.”

     I have to confess not having grown up in a culture where blocks of wood, stone and gold are actually worshipped I don’t get the whole idol thing.  But the thought that maybe our western agnosticism might stem from the fact we no longer have anything to look at to help us worship is sort of provocative.

    At least in the places where idols are worshipped there is a general acknowledgment that a spirit world exists. Does that mean we’ve made an idol out of not having idols? If so that is totally whacked!

     In verse four of Exodus 20 I believe the use of the word “heaven” does not refer to the eternal Heaven where God resides. After all,  none of us have ever seen the beings who reside there. How in the world could we possibly make images that mimic that place? “Heaven” here probably refers to the atmosphere.  God is saying “Folks don’t  make a statue of a pigeon and worship it! I am not a pigeon.” Scripture attests though that this is exactly what people did.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and BIRDS and animals and reptiles.” Rom. 1:21-23 NLT

     While perhaps none of you are going out to make a wooden pigeon to bow down to tonight, I do want to ask how much of your faith is built upon sight rather than trust? How many hoops do you require Him to jump through before you obey the God we cannot see?

Let’s Pray: Father God I know you have called me to walk by faith and not by sight. Lord help me because I know sometimes I do just the opposite. Save me where I have made a god out of scientific evidences and  physical proof come and help me walk in biblical faith. In Jesus Name Amen!