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Pastor Trent's Blog

WedWednesdayMarMarch31st2010 In and Out

Posted Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 8 PM byTrent Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

John 17:13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

“Come quick, Dad! You have to change the radio station. Their singing about dancing naked!” That was the exclamation of my six-year old daughter who recognized our home was being invaded by an influence that was not consistent with the values we hold as family.

The Bible has a very specific name for that influence—“the world.” What is “the world”? It is a prevailing system of beliefs that stands in opposition to the authority and of God and His word, which reduces life to the reason and impulses of the human mind yet fueled by demonic spiritual forces. Jesus used the word 18 times in his prayer for his followers recorded in John 17. He knew the influence of the world would tempt us to stray into unbelief and disobedience. Knowing this, Jesus prayed for our protection before he departed physically from the earth.

Christians are those who have been called out of the world to live a life distinct from the world. Our values, attitudes, and lifestyle should stand in contrast to the world. We are continually being sanctified (or set apart) from a world that doesn’t understand why we live to please a God we cannot see with our eyes. As we are sanctified by his world we should expect the world to hate us just like it hated Him.

But sanctification is not so much about getting out of the world as much as God getting the world out of us. Jesus specifically says “I do not ask that you take them out of the world.” (John 17:15) In fact, he prays, “I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18) Why? Those whom Jesus has called out of the world are sent back in for the purpose of calling more out…to be sent back in. There is a cyclical balance to living as a “called out”, “sent in” follower of Jesus.

We are not to be of the world but we are to be in the world. We are to separate, but also penetrate. We to should spend time alone with God but also spend time conversing with godless people about God.

Why does God leave us in the world? He has sent us in to a world to show them that knowing Jesus is more fulfilling and brings more joy than anything the world has to offer…even dancing naked.

WedWednesdayMarMarch31st2010 A Beautiful Bride

Posted Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 8 PM byTrent Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

I have a very close friend with whom I enjoy an uncommon loyalty. I love spending time with him because every time I do he encourages me. I regularly tell him how much I appreciate his character and admire his wisdom. I want to be like him is so many ways.

But I recently told him, “I can’t stand being around your wife! I don’t know why you love her. She is ugly, selfish, lazy, even unfaithful at times. I love you, but I refuse to meet with you if she is in the room. Can’t we get together without having her around?”

In reality, I would NEVER say such things about my friend’s wife. But today there are many who have this kind of attitude toward Christ and His bride—the Church. Today It has become cool to bash the church. Spirituality is hot; church is not. Community is cool; but church is lame. Some might lead you to believe that the church is actually detrimental to a growing relationship with Christ. To hear some tell it, you must leave the church in order to be the church. Do you claim to love Christ but are really disgusted with His church?

It is no secret that the church that Jesus died to redeem has its imperfections. There is no such thing as a perfect church. Someone has rightly said, “If you find a perfect church, don’t join it. You will mess it up.”

But you cannot claim to love Christ while refusing to love his bride, the church. To love Jesus is to love his bride. To accept Jesus is to accept the church. You cannot receive Jesus and reject his church. He loves it and if you love Him you will love what he loves. You cannot practice a churchless Christianity.

If you have become disgruntled, suspicious, wounded, or disconnected with the church you should reengage. Walking with Christ demands walking together with others who walk with Him. You need the friendship, encouragement, and accountability of a community of believers. And other believers need you.

Don’t let a bad experience in your past keep you from seeing the beauty of the bride of Christ. Find a local church where the Bible is preached and fellowship is a priority for God’s people then commit yourself them. If you are connected to a local church demonstrate uncommon loyalty to Jesus by loving his bride.

WedWednesdayMarMarch31st2010 I'm Thirsty

Posted Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 8 PM byTrent Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Jeremiah 2:13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Like a vast desert, your heart is thirsty. Yet it’s dryness is only slightly moistened by the trickle of a thousand worldly streams. Just like physical thirst in your body motivates you to seek out water, your heart has a spiritual thirst that motivates you to pursue ultimate satisfaction. Whatever you seek when you sense your thirst indicates what you believe will ultimately satisfy.

Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament God uses the analogy of living water to show that He alone can quench thirst. In John 4:14, Jesus told a very thirsty woman, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Sadly, most people gulp gallon after gallon out of the world’s sewer pursuing money, power, and mindless entertainment never realizing that Jesus holds out living water as the only thing that can quench the thirst of their soul.

My 2 year-old daughter came to me one day holding up her empty sippy cup. She had just downed about 6 ounces of grape juice in a matter of minutes. As she held it up to me, she said, “I’m thirsty.” Suspiciously, I began to fill it with water but then she said, “Daddy...I want juice.” I said, “This time you only get water.” She frowned, and then said, “Never mind, I’m not thirsty.”

As I thought about what had changed, I realized that she was really not dehydrated. The juice had quenched her thirst. So why did she want more? She wanted to taste the sweetness of the juice again.

When you first come to Jesus you come with a thirst that is the result of complete spiritual dehydration. But after He quenches your initial thirst, you will continue to come to Him because you want to taste the sweetness of his satisfying grace and love. Don’t waste your time drinking out of the sewer. Hold your cup out to Jesus and tell him, “I’m thirsty!” He will quench your thirst with the sweetness of His living water.

WedWednesdayMarMarch31st2010 Do You Know God?

Posted Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 7 PM byTrent Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"

Do you know God? I don’t mean knowing God like you know your phone number or the recipe for grandma’s double-layer chocolate fudge cake. Nobody gets very excited about recipe but everyone wants to taste the cake.

You probably have been told some facts about God. You know he is Creator and that he sent His son, Jesus, to die on a cross for sin. Those truths are not to be diminished. In fact, believing them is essential to salvation. But do you have more than head knowledge about God? I mean, “Have you tasted how good he is?”

I have a wife whom I have known for over 15 years. I also know the guy who changes the oil in my car. But I know my wife in a way that I do not know Mr. Goodwrench. What’s the difference? When I think of what I know about my wife I feel something in my heart. Not a syrupy emotionalism. But a motivation to be with her, share life with her, and even learn more about her. I’m always wondering what she is thinking and often ask to find out.

The knowledge of God is inexhaustible. When you initially come to know God through Christ, you begin a quest for more of the knowledge of God that goes beyond the facts and acts of God. But when we stop seeking knowledge we stop growing in our faith. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you.” God knows our first step toward destruction is failing to seek knowledge of him.

God longs to reveal more of Himself to you. Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.” Don’t you want to be like Moses? Don’t just be content to know his “acts.” Seek to know his “ways.” You can know God on an experiential level. As you take your life and all its heartaches and joys to God you will begin to see how God works and why he is doing what he is doing.

Don’t be content knowing recipes about God. He wants you to know the taste of how good He is.

MonMondayNovNovember23rd2009 God Wrote a Book

Posted Monday, November 23 2009 @ 2 PM byTrent Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

1Th 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Much is made of “tell-all” books written by famous entertainers, athletes, and politicians. People clamor to read details about the lives of people they may never meet. But how much would it change your perspective on the Bible if you viewed it as God’s autobiography. The Bible is simply God’s self-revelation to you and me. In the Bible God tells all we need to know about him and us.

Without the Bible we would have only a general understanding of our creator through the things that he has made. Even without the Bible we would have no excuse not to believe in God (Rom. 1:20). But God wrote a book so that we can know not only that he exists but how we can have a relationship with him through Jesus.

Today, even in a world of great skepticism there is interest in getting to know who God is. That’s why new age books and mysticism are so popular. But, you cannot claim to want to know who God is without taking seriously what God has said. You can have confidence that you have an accurate and authoritative revelation of God in your Bible. The words of the Bible have been “breathed out by God.” (2Tim. 3:16) Just as our words are formed when breath from our lungs passes over our vocal chords then out our mouths, God has breathed out his words onto the pages of scripture.

If we really believe that the Bible is God’s word why do we treat it so casually?

· If it really is the Word of God one day you will be judge by what God has written in it.

· If it really is the Word of God you had better learn what is in it.

· If it really is the Word of God you would be wise to do what it says.

· If it really is the Word of God you should long to share it with others.

· If it really is the Word of God you have a place to stand when everything around you is falling apart.

Many books have been written by men about the Bible, but God only wrote one book. So invest the time to read, obey, and share God’s word today.

How have you attempted to know who God is without regard to what he has said?

What would change if you firmly believed that the Bible really is “breathed out by God?