Well we are getting closer and closer to the end of our count down to a hundred contest and to the end of the Pentateuch! Here is what I see in Deuteronomy chapters 20 and 21!
Deuteronomy chapter 20 sermon topics/ titles:
1. You will face war: Deut. 20:1
2. Priests of Warfare: Deut. 20:2-4
3. The Contagion of Detestable Things: Deut. 20:16-18
Wow there is a lot more to this chapter. I wish I had more than three sermons worth of charting; But rules are rules. 🙂
As you recall Garrick Brewer, who wrote this section of the “Relentless” devotions finished the last blog with a challenge.
I challenge you to think and pray…. for God to lay a person on your heart.And with fire and passion… pursue the salvation of that person.
Today Garrick writes:
… Dedicate yourself to the salvation of that person, every time you talk to them, tell them about Jesus. Every time you pray, pray for their salvation. At every chance offer to take them to church. Make their salvation your personal crusade. And even if it takes a week, a month, a year, or a decade, never give up on that person. Never relent in your pursuit of their salvation. And on the day that person is saved, rejoice for Luke 15:10 says the angels are rejoicing in heaven at their salvation….
When you are done rejoicing, do it all again. Find the next one God has laid on your heart and pursue their salvation…. For you are working for the glory of God, Christ, and Heaven.
The Japanese have a saying: “A person may spend their whole life searching for the perfect cherry blossom and never find it, yet it is a life well spent.” … In perspective of that, how amazing is the life …dedicated to pursuing the salvation of soul after soul, without rest, without break, a relentless pursuit to glorify the Kingdom of God which is truly beautiful, and truly perfect, like the God who created it and the people who will one day inhabit it? …Begin to feel the call on your heart. Listen… for God speaking to you. Find the one God points out from all the others, and pursue with tenacity and stubborn purpose….Remember, the longer and harder the battle, the more bitter and drawn out, the sweeter the victory!
What one thing have you gleaned about being relentless?
What’s my favorite holiday and why? My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because it is celebrated via some of my favorite methods! Lots of eating followed by a required nap. On what other holiday does your family expect you to take a nap?
Do you prefer your food separated or mixed together? Depends on what I am eating; For instance, jello and gravy are a bad combo (which often happens at church pot-luck when you over fill your plate);That said, I am a big casserole fan so mixed together is my preferred form.
Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? If the phone call is really important then I sometimes even make a script. Usually I at least have a planned purpose in calling. I am not a telephone for fun type of guy.
When yo are with your friends. Do your interactions include much touching—for example, hugging, kissing, rough housing, rubbing backs? Would you like to have more of this? I live in New England, land of the frozen chosen, so touching is seldom encouraged. Rough housing is usually discouraged except on the playing field and rubbing backs is definitely reserved for private settings. But we do hug in church (sideways hugs only unless you’re related) and you can be kissed on the cheek by a lady over sixty. A firm handshake is usually the order of the day and grasping the hand with both hands is a sign of deep proper affection. I think I am fairly Victorian in my personality so I am OK with this. 😉
Garrick Brewer is a young preacher and writer coming up through the ranks of Cornerstone church. He recently shared the pulpit with me. Here are excerpts of his exhortation…
Revelation 21: 3-4 says: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them, they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”
For most of us here today… what is described in Rev 21: 3-4 is our future, the eternal glory of the kingdom of Heaven… and a face to face relationship with our lord Jesus Christ. What a glorious future to look forward to! We get all of that because “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Our God is an amazing God. He’s a loving God. A forgiving God!… He is also a Just and fair God. And if embracing Jesus Christ and loving him with all our hearts gets us what I Cor 2:9 calls a glorious eternity beyond what we could ever even imagine, what happens to those who reject him? … That is no mystery to us. The Bible is very plain about it as a matter of fact. Revelations 20:15 reveals… “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
…Verse 10 tells us that those thrown into the lake of fire will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Those lost souls, those souls damned to an eternity of pain and suffering are the focus of this message. They are the focus because it is for their sake I issue a challenge to every person reading today….This challenge should light a fire in your heart, mind, and soul, because this challenge will bring you closer to God; It will fulfill orders by the scriptures, and it will bring glory to and build the Kingdom of Heaven….
Go relentlessly after the one!
I challenge you to think and pray…. for God to lay a person on your heart.And with fire and passion… pursue the salvation of that person.
Who came to mind as you read this? More from Garrick tomorrow.
My daughter Melanie is on her internship journey in Thailand. God told her as she began this trek that He would captivate her heart! Here is some of what she has seen:
It’s good to know when God is captivating your heart you can still get a good cup of coffee!
Church, while we live in the day of increasing wickedness, we cannot let the increase draw us away. On the other hand, we cannot by our own strength hope to defeat sin for that becomes nothing more than legalism. History has shown us that all our attempts to program holiness don’t work. We can’t four step or two-step or twelve step our way to freedom. Because righteousness, holiness, and deliverance do not start with us; They start with God. The answer doesn’t start with a program it starts at an altar. It starts at the foot of the cross. It begins by calling on God for help and letting Him move into the area that you are struggling with. Just like you couldn’t save yourself, you cannot fix yourself. You have to let God begin the process by asking Him and then believing that He has helped you. You have to believe you are free not because you feel free but because the Bible says you are free.
Once you have gone to him and asked for freedom Then you begin to cooperate with God in freedom. It is after the altar that you begin to walk with God through the four steps, the two steps and the twelve steps. Going to God is always step 1. In the twelve steps of AA the first three steps involve what we call confession and repentance before God and that is coming to God. Then you move forward into what you can do! Begin with the help of the supernatural and then do what you can in the natural. This is the increase of holiness we need. True holiness isn’t good versus bad it’s about going to God versus turning to your own strength.
If we are to be relentless in righteousness we must become relentless about turning everything over to God.
These are the days of Elijah! I believe it. Great and mighty things are going to happen but as they do the call of God is going out to be relentless in praise in ministry and in righteousness!
We have been talking about the world’s need to see us as relentless Christians. I said at the end of my last “relentless” post that a young friend would be writing about being relentless in ministry. Well he is still working on his post so we are going to move relentlessly on to the subject of being relentless in righteousness! I will come back to the idea of relentless ministry in the posts to come. For now if you need to catch up…
We have to be relentless in righteousness.Paul wrote, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” I Cor. 9:27
He wasn’t talking about self-abuse. He was talking about making the body, which wants nothing more than to sin, obey God and refuse sin!
To the Romans He wrote: “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” Rom 6:9-13
And the writer to the Hebrews tells us this: “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” Heb. 12:12-16
Church we are being called to a greater level of righteousness and holiness. The time for greasy grace has come and gone just as the time for legalistic holiness has come and gone. Now it is time for the ministry of reconciliation to come into play. It is time for people to walk the pathways of restoration and when they fall to rise again and press forward into ever-deepening righteousness!
Here are another great bunch of questions from Cee Cee!
Are you left or right-handed? I am totally right-handed! Even after thirty plus years of piano playing I can still only do rudimentary movements with my left hand.
What is one thing you love about being an adult? I didn’t start feeling like an adult until I was thirty-five. I sort of like the respect that comes with a little bit of age and experience.
What do I need to unlearn? My fear of people and the idea that I am only as capable or adequate as other people see me. I am learning that what I can do has nothing to do with what other people expect from me.
What is success for me? Fulfilling God’s purpose for my life and experiencing His joy over that obedience.
Here are a few pictures of the lighter side of our church!
This is me at youth convention a few years ago. I was cast in a skit in the dual role of Granny and Baby Boy!
And this is my boss!
We really enjoy helping people find the humor in life!
Life is full of change. This next month shall be veritably overflowing with it!
I said “Bu-bye” to my youngest last week as she embarked on her summer internship in Thailand. Soon I shall be posting updates on her perspective of the world from Chang Mai province.
A few days ago I said another “Ciao” to my son who is on his way to a summer internship in Myanmar! You sill be seeing lots of pictures from the Far East in the weeks to come.
My daughter Amanda has just started a new job in a nearby town and will be teaching children’s church here at Cornerstone with me 🙂 (God knew I probably couldn’t handle all three out of country at once).
And then this month I have the awesome privilege of travelling to The Netherlands to visit my sister who is working as a missionary associate there!
So …yeah… lots of change which will bring lots of pictures. At least Cee Cee will be happy I can stop posting pictures of broken trees! 🙂
Here we are! After today’s chart we will be ten short Pastor Wrinkles Posts away from the end of our countdown to a hundred contest! You still have time to join in the fun if you want. Here are the rules.
Well we are getting closer and closer to the end of our count down to a hundred contest and to the end of the Pentateuch! Here is what I see in Deuteronomy chapters 20 and 21!
Garrick Brewer is a young preacher and writer coming up through the ranks of Cornerstone church. He recently shared the pulpit with me. Here are excerpts of his exhortation…
Reinventing the We'll 