Hard Working Girls
July 16, 2009 by garybartlettI Am Adopted
July 15, 2009 by garybartlett“Long ago, before God made the world, God chose us to be his very own. …His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to.” Ephesians 1:3, 5 TLB
What a wonderful scripture this is! God planned all along to adopt us as His sons and daughters and set out to do that very thing by sending Jesus Christ to die for us that we might be made holy and He could go forth with His adoption plans.
Why did He do all this for us?
Because we were great kids? No.
Because we are holy on our own? That would be NO. Without Christ’s blood we are nothing!
How about because of what we have? No, that couldn’t be it because all we have is filthy rags and, after all, God is the ruler of the Universe, He has need of nothing.
Let’s see, could it be because we have earned the right to be sons/daughters? No, we all know that an adoption is not earned, it is something that is freely given. The parents who do the adopting are the active ones, they do all the work; not the child who needs to be adopted.
No, God adopted us because he wanted to. The scripture says we needed Him and he wanted us. The God of this Universe, the Ruler of the heavens, the Creator of all things WANTED us; not because of who we were, or what we could do, or what we had, just because He desired for us to be His children. This was His plan from the beginning of time and He set about to accomplish that plan. How blessed we are to have such a Father.
The Fruit of the Spirit
July 14, 2009 by garybartlettHow does the Spirit of God manifest itself through us? Often we think that to witness means to speak up in defense of God. This idea can make us very self-conscious. We wonder where and how we can make God the topic of our conversations and how to convince our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues of God’s presence in their lives. But this explicit missionary endeavour often comes from an insecure heart and, therefore, easily creates divisions.
The way God’s Spirit manifests itself most convincingly is through its fruits: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). These fruits speak for themselves. It is therefore always better to raise the question “How can I grow in the Spirit?” than the question “How can I make others believe in the Spirit?” - Henri Nouwen
God’s Creation is Amazing
July 13, 2009 by garybartlettCheck this out! So cool! God is great!
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1513658418?bctid=1772783521
How To Be Friendly
July 13, 2009 by garybartlett
It’s natural to experience nervousness when meeting new people. So much hangs in the balance of that delicate first impression. Act the wrong way and you might be perceived as stupid, weird, or worst of all, the dreaded creepy.
Ask people about themselves. Find what they’re passionate about and what they’re trying to achieve in life. The answers are often fascinating and different than you’d expect. Your sincere interest will endear you to them and you’ll learn a lot as well. Naturally, they will ask you them same questions about yourself, and in only a few minutes you have made a lasting connection.
Smile. A smile will let people know that you are pleasant and inviting. If you smile at someone, look them in the eye. Making eye contact is crucial. Have you ever met someone who couldn’t look you in the eye? What was your perception of them? Eye contact is also a great way to start conversations. The eyes are the window to the soul, so making eye contact creates a powerful connection. Be careful not to stare, but if you see someone you’d like speak with, try to make eye contact as you walk by.For the most part, if you smile at someone, they won’t do anything but smile back. If they don’t, then maybe they are just having a bad day. It is up to you to set the mood of the encounter. Make it happy by being the first to smile.
Be a good listener. Listen when other people are talking to you. It isn’t nice to just ignore other peoples’ opinions and stories. If you find that someone is becoming rude or pushy, acknowledge their opinion, issue a compliment and excuse yourself politely
Be courteous. Always say “please,” “thank you” and “you’re welcome.” You can also address people by sir or ma’am, depending on the occasion. Be patient, observant, and considerate. Treat people with respect. Even if you don’t particularly like someone at first, they could end up being a really interesting and kind person.
Be positive. Don’t be negative or critical. Keep looking for the positive in any given situation. Cheer them up. Assume the best about people. Most people don’t mean to insult or offend others most of the time. Unless it’s overt, assume the slight was accidental.
What do you do to be friendly?
Web site recreates Apollo 11 mission in real time
July 12, 2009 by garybartlettThis is so cool!
High or Low, No Medium?
July 12, 2009 by garybartlett
I Worshipped God
July 11, 2009 by garybartlett“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” Mark 9:38-41
For the last two Sundays, I worshipped God away from my home congregation. At both locations, the people present worshipped the same God that I did. Both services were different than what I am used to. They worshipped in a different style. Both services were uplifting and totally glorifying our God. Both emphasised that baptism into Jesus was essential for one to start their journey with the Christ. One group had a strong missional outreach to their community. Blacks and whites, close and loving each other and praising God. The other group had loaves of bread in the entrance for any who had need to pick up, while the preacher’s message was about being a servant in the name and attitude of Jesus.
However, they were not “one of us”. I am sorry that I have “breathed threats against the brothers”. I have been guilty of throwing stones, when I was guilty. I have looked for the speck in their eye when I have had the plank in mine. The same Pharisaical attitude that Jesus condemned is one that I have shown. There is no comfort that many have followed the same pattern. On the last day, I will not be judged by what group I was in, but by only if I gave “a cup of water” in the sweet name of Jesus.
Christians
July 10, 2009 by garybartlettAlexander Campbell wrote in 1837: “If there be no Christians among the Protestant sects, there are certainly none among the Romanists, none among the Jews, Turks, Pagans, and therefore no Christians in the world except ourselves, or such of us as keep, or strive to keep, all of the commandments of Jesus. Therefore, for many centuries there has been no church of Christ, no Christians in the world; and the promises concerning the everlasting kingdom of Messiah have failed; and the gates of hell have prevailed against his church. This cannot be; and therefore there are Christians among the sects.”
What do think of this? I will tell you what I think tomorrow.
Take Up Your Cross
July 9, 2009 by garybartlettMatthew 10:38
….and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
What is your cross?
