Picture This, Week 3

Our Sunday Services just seem to get better and better. Some may be offended by our Pastors teachings, but he speaks the truth. It is right there in black in white, in the only book that matters in this world.

This past Sunday We began our service with Priase and Worship as we always do. We recapped the past two Sundays, Picture This--A Church that is :
1. Full of the Power of God.
2. Wildly genorous in giving.
Pastor Allen explains that we at Daystar are a diverse church. We want to reach all ages but we put a high priority on our youth & college Students which are to be the next generation.
3. Reaching the next Generation.
Why do we want to do this? At Daystar thats who we are and God has given us a mandate to make deciplies of all Nations and generations. Statistics Show that most children will come to christ by the age of 13 if they are ministered too. So We ask--How do we accomplish this reaching out to the youth and college age generation? We must be "Kingdom minded" and it all goe's back to "Financies." How much are we willing to give to make this ministry work? Pastor Allen points out that indeed these children and students are going to grow and up and some will move away. So perhaps the church may not gain anything significant out of this giving..but it is what God wants us to do. Pastor Allen states that 15% of what Jesus talked about was Financies and how we should handle them. We turn to Ecclesiates 5:8-18"Riches Are Meaningless." Please take the time to read these verses. We should not be conformed to the world, but let our minds be transformed. From (vs10) Pastor Allen points out that "The more you have the more you want." We need to always give the first 10% of what we earn to God.
All the money & possessions in the world will never make us happy. Life is not found on what we get , but on what we give. (Luke 12:18-21) Then he said, "This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."20 "But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" 21 This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God. "
Pastor Allen declares to give 10%, Save 10%, and live off 80%. When we start giving our 10% something happens within us spiritually--it makes us look at material things differently, For when we die we lose it all anyways.
Matt19:29 And everyone who has left houses or borther or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will recieve a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
From (Ecc5:11-14) Pastor Allen states again that the more stuff, the lease happiness you will find. The point that the Pastor is getting at is that first before we can be happy here on earth--we must realize that all we have comes from God,(we are blessed). It is our duty to give back 10% and more if you are wealthier--It is all His anyways!
1Tim 6: 7-10 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destrution. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money have wandered fromthe faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Tim 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hop in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
So no matter how mych we get we will leave this world empty handed. We closed with (Matt 16:27) For the son of man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
So with all this being said--I can say that I will do whatever it takes to reach our next generation. Where we have failed the world economicly because of our selfish ways, now realizing this a little to late. It is our duty to teach the youth of now so when their time comes hopefully their world will be better than ours.
My Husband an I realize now that our biggest mistake was waiting to late to get our child to God. If we would have had our priorities straight when he was a baby--our live might be different this day. But all we can do is ask for forgiveness and from this day forward do what God wants us to do and be . I pray often for the Lord to reach my child who is now seventeen and to lead him in the path in which he desires him to go.

Prayer:Awesome God, I confess my inclination to rush into Your presence overflowing with many words. My private devotions are filled with my agendas for You. My public worship can be so flooded with noise that You would not be able to get a word in edgewise. I confess my failure to listen for Your voice. Too seldom do I wait in silence before You as a servant waits before a king. Help me, O Word of God, to learn to listen to You. Teach me to still my soul as a child with its mother. Give me a renewed vision of Your holiess, so that when I speak to You it might be with reverence and repsect. Gracious God, Thank You for the gift of perspective that these verses I have read bring. Thank You for the gift of life for the joys of each new day. Thank You for simple gifts of food to eat and water to drink. Thank You for work to do, even when that work is hard or monotonous. Thank You for the grace to be content in all circumstances, both in times of plenty and in times of need. And when You give extra blessings, whether they be material or spiritual, thank You for the ability to enjoy them. Indeed all good gifts, including the gift of satisfaction, come from You. Thank You heavenly Father for Your boundless generosity! In Jesus name I pray---Amen....

Other Passages the Pastor recommends us to read because he may not have time to cover them is James 4:1-10, James 5: 1-5, 2 Cor 5:1-5, Book og Haggai. I have taken the time already to read all of this. WOW!!!!I ask myself how could I have been so blind to this world all of my 40 years of living. I am Thankful that my eyes are now open---wide open.