"October 2008"

"The New Testament"

Mark 14:24 " This my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many!"

To read the Bible without an understanding of the idea of "Covenant" makes things very difficult. A covenant is an agreement...a contract..in today's vernacular. Throughout history there were covenants between human beings, but the Bible is interested in the covenants between mankind and God!

"September"

"Fallowed Ground"

Sioux City is surrounded by farmland. So most folks out here know that fallowed ground is ground that had been plowed at one time, but ground that had not been seeded or worked yet for a crop. In Hosea 10:12 we read: "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, til He come and rain righteousness upon you. On a farm there are two kinds of ground. Fallowed and seeded ground. If a land is only plowed anything can grow in that soil. Mostly weeds. Or whatever drifts in on the wind.  We are warned to sow in righteousness with God's Word and Spirit and Nature.  Spend time in His Presence.  Born again Believers need to be seeded by the plantings of the Kingdom of God, not the things of the World. Remember it's, Christ in me the hope of Glory!  No other time in Church history has it been time to seek the Lord than now! Our Lord is looking for His Righteousness in us.  Not our own nor the things of this fallen world. Read it again, sow to yourself righteousness, reap in mercy! If we sow to ourselves anything else the alternative is not mercy but it's opposite!  When we were saved, we were fallowed. It is up to us to receive our rightful inheritance. The words break up is the Hebrew word niyr, meaning, the idea of the gleam of fresh furrow. To till the soil, to accept fresh seed! On Friday night we are seeking the Lord in Fasted prayer to receive New Revelation from Him. This is a great endeavor but needs to be linked with a daily meditation in His Word. Let's seek Him fervently until it rains! Where is your focus?

                                      "April 2008" ( This was important information to keep)

"Why We Come to Church! "

I was teaching out of Ecclesiastes 5:1 last Sunday where the beginning scripture tells us to "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God. What this is telling us is to watch our self when we go to Church. And to be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil.  Pride and foolishness go hand in hand. Well then, how should we come to Church? The Lord gave me 7 things to come to Church for:

1.  COME TO WORSHIP.... Psm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory His name worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness.

2.  COME TO GIVE..... Psm 18:49  Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give God His tithes and His offering, they are Holy unto the Lord.

3.  COME TO CELEBRATE..... Psm 122:7  I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the house of the Lord. To be a true Believer coming to Church is a time of joy. Remember Communion is a celebration.  We aren't mourning His death we are celebrating His ressurection.

4.  COME TO LEARN.... Psm 119:11  Thy word O' God have I hid in my heart that I would not sin against thee.

5.  COME TO LOVE.... In the upper room Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment. To love each other as He loved them. The God kind of love. We see this again in 1John 4:7-8

6.  COME TO HONOR.... Psm 26:8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth. Honor God, honor each other.

7.  COME TO TAKE HOME... what you have learned to apply to your life. What was taught in the Synagogues was taught and practiced at home.  Where is your focus?