Go here to see a short video about Cornerstone Church at Bay Ridge. It was made by a team from Alabama that was in Brooklyn for the church's weekly launch.
UPDATE (11/2/11)...
Caleb William arrived safely on October 24. Congrats to Nathan and Lesley!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Christ In Me
From the breastplate of St. Patrick...
Christ beside me, Christ before me;
Christ behind me, Christ within me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me;
Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising;
Christ in heart of all who know me,
Christ on tongue of all who meet me,
Christ in eye of all who see me,
Christ in ear of all who hear me.
For to the Lord belongs salvation,
And to the Lord belongs salvation,
And to Christ belongs salvation.
May your salvation, Lord, be with us always. Amen.
Christ beside me, Christ before me;
Christ behind me, Christ within me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me;
Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising;
Christ in heart of all who know me,
Christ on tongue of all who meet me,
Christ in eye of all who see me,
Christ in ear of all who hear me.
For to the Lord belongs salvation,
And to the Lord belongs salvation,
And to Christ belongs salvation.
May your salvation, Lord, be with us always. Amen.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Eye Magnets
Problems are eye magnets. Have you ever noticed that? For example, have you ever been driving down the interstate at 70 miles an hour (I am assuming that we're all driving the speed limit) when suddenly everything comes to a stand still? It's like 5:00pm traffic in downtown Atlanta. Why? Well, after 30 minutes of creeping along, you approach an accident that everyone is staring at. You tell yourself not to look, but you can't help it either, you've just GOT to see it. Of course, it's only a battered bumper, but we just have to see for ourselves. Or try this, have you ever been going through a particularly difficult time in life, and it's all you could think about. You try not to worry about the problem, but for some reason it feels like an obsession. You even consider praying about it, but it's always there, right in front of your eyes. This bent to put our eyes on the problem instead of the prize seems to be common to all of us. But there is a solution.
Jehoshaphat was having a major problem. His kingdom was about to be invaded by a massive army and 2 Chronicles says he "was afraid." But it also says that he prayed to the Lord. At the end of that prayer he says, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." Jehoshaphat knew that having his eyes on the problem wouldn't solve it, but that with his eyes on the Problem Solver, nothing was impossible.
Although not directly connected, it reminds me of another passage in Hebrews 12 that says, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Cue Music...
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
Jehoshaphat was having a major problem. His kingdom was about to be invaded by a massive army and 2 Chronicles says he "was afraid." But it also says that he prayed to the Lord. At the end of that prayer he says, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." Jehoshaphat knew that having his eyes on the problem wouldn't solve it, but that with his eyes on the Problem Solver, nothing was impossible.
Although not directly connected, it reminds me of another passage in Hebrews 12 that says, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Cue Music...
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Awakening
For Sunday morning, September 18...
May it be, by the Spirit of God. Amen.
[See post from Thursday, September 1, for the song we're learning in the PM service.]
May it be, by the Spirit of God. Amen.
[See post from Thursday, September 1, for the song we're learning in the PM service.]
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Pain of Speaking for God
Have you ever been ridiculed for speaking the truth about God? Have you ever encountered persecution for standing up for God? If so, it can be surprising. It can catch us off guard. We can begin to believe that people are eagerly anticipating a word from the Lord, almost as if they jumped out of bed that morning thinking, "Man, I hope someone comes along to instruct and correct me according to the laws and ways of God." This just isn't so. In fact, more times than not, when we say what God says, we stand against the vast majority of the population. Consider this...
"At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa the king of Judah and said to him, 'Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand.'" 2 Chronicles goes on to say, "Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this." A similar thing happens to the messenger Michaiah a few chapters later when he delivers a word to the king of Israel. Michaiah said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep which have no shepherd; And the Lord said, 'These have no master. Let each of them return to his peace.' Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?'" One would think that the king would respond by saying, "WOW! Thanks, Michaiah! You have warned us of imminent danger. You have stepped in and kept us from heartache, misery and pain. We are so thankful that you have shared this information with us." Not only do the king and his false prophets not thank him, they rail against him. "Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Michaiah on the cheek and said, 'How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?'" Well, thank you very much. 'Preciate it!
If you find yourself in a similar situation, don't lose heart. Jesus reminds us that, "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11 & 12)
"At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa the king of Judah and said to him, 'Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand.'" 2 Chronicles goes on to say, "Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this." A similar thing happens to the messenger Michaiah a few chapters later when he delivers a word to the king of Israel. Michaiah said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep which have no shepherd; And the Lord said, 'These have no master. Let each of them return to his peace.' Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?'" One would think that the king would respond by saying, "WOW! Thanks, Michaiah! You have warned us of imminent danger. You have stepped in and kept us from heartache, misery and pain. We are so thankful that you have shared this information with us." Not only do the king and his false prophets not thank him, they rail against him. "Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Michaiah on the cheek and said, 'How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?'" Well, thank you very much. 'Preciate it!
If you find yourself in a similar situation, don't lose heart. Jesus reminds us that, "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11 & 12)
Monday, September 12, 2011
Our Help
The prayer of Asa when his army composed of 300,000 from Judah carrying large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin carrying shields and bows, faced Zerah's army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots...
"Then Asa called out to the Lord his God and said, 'Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.'" (2 Chronicles: 14:11)
The result...
Zerah's army was "routed" by the Lord. Imagine that!
"Then Asa called out to the Lord his God and said, 'Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.'" (2 Chronicles: 14:11)
The result...
Zerah's army was "routed" by the Lord. Imagine that!
Music Recommendation(s)
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| DANIEL BASHTA: The Sounds of Daniel Bashta |
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| MATT REDMAN: 10,000 Reasons |
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| MATT PAPA: This Changes Everything |
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
What Does a "Church Musician" Do?
Check this out...
"Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals; and the number of those who performed their service was: Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising the Lord. Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer to exalt him according to the words of God, for God gave fourteen sons and three daughters to Heman. All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direction of the King. Their number who were trained in singing to the Lord, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288." (1 Chronicles 25:1-7)
"Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals; and the number of those who performed their service was: Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising the Lord. Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer to exalt him according to the words of God, for God gave fourteen sons and three daughters to Heman. All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direction of the King. Their number who were trained in singing to the Lord, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288." (1 Chronicles 25:1-7)
Monday, September 5, 2011
That's the Truth
You can find out more about the tour at Truth 40.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Names, Names and More Names
Have you read 1 Chronicles? Well, the first several chapters are like vegetables for a 7 year old, if you know what I mean. But it did get me thinking. Here are a few things it caused me to ponder.
1. We come from a LONG line of people.
2. God's been at work in the lives of people for a really long time.
3. The world does NOT revolve around me.
4. God uses the good, the bad and the ugly to accomplish His perfect plan.
5. God will finish what He started, no matter what.
6. Many have gone before us, and if the Lord tarries, many will come after us.
7. Invest in people, they'll outlive you.
1. We come from a LONG line of people.
2. God's been at work in the lives of people for a really long time.
3. The world does NOT revolve around me.
4. God uses the good, the bad and the ugly to accomplish His perfect plan.
5. God will finish what He started, no matter what.
6. Many have gone before us, and if the Lord tarries, many will come after us.
7. Invest in people, they'll outlive you.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
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