Integrity

When you have integrity, You have more than enough.

Integrity is a very real and measurable. It includes taking responsibility, keeping my word, being faithful in the little things, being honest, standing on your ground for what is right, making the right choices, among other virtues. It is looking inward first before looking outward and blaming others.

Integrity has its price. Proverbs 20:21

Integrity has its rewards. Proverbs 11:3, Proverbs 10:9, Proverbs 13:6

May God bless us all!

God Has Highly Exalted Him

Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The big picture of Christmas - God making His Son man to dwell among us. His death on the cross for my sin and your sin. God's big picture for Christmas is His salvation of lost man, dead and lost in trespasses and in sin. God being rich in mercy for the great love He had for us sent Jesus born in Bethlehem to bring us back to God! We were lost without hope! We are now found in Him!

This passage in Philippians paints for us the essence of Christmas, God being found in in appearance as a man. As a result of His humility God has highly exalted Him.

Let this festive season have its true meaning - God's great love for you and me! That through God in the flesh bears the greatest name above all by which man must be saved.

Sweetest note on serah song,
Sweetest name in mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung,
Jesus blessed Jesus.

May Almighty God bless all our MKB Church family, our friends and brethren whom we have fellowship in The Beloved! Happy Holidays and a fruitful, blessed, prosperous year 2010.

You Have the Words of Eternal Life

You Have the Words of Eternal Life: "

(Author: David Mathis)

This week's sermon: 'You Have the Words of Eternal Life'



Christmas is all about Good Friday. The reason the eternal Word became flesh (John 1:14) is that he needed flesh to suffer and die. God becoming man is the only way that grace could come to sinners. The gospel is the great message of Christmas.



John 6 is a rough chapter. It begins with 5,000 following Jesus, and ends with only 11. But there are rays of hope.



One ray is verse 63 where Jesus says, 'The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.' The second ray is Peter, who when asked if he would go away with the 5,000, responds in verse 68, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'



His answer implies that he had considered going elsewhere. Jesus' words to the crowds were tough. But Peter had been gripped by the Holy Spirit. He had been given life in Jesus' words. And though numerous questions remained, he knew there was no one like this Jesus and no words of eternal life like he spoke.

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Facebook | Abortion Stops a Beating Heart

Facebook | Abortion Stops a Beating Heart

How to Practice Meditative Prayer

How to Practice Meditative Prayer: "

Prayer series: Click | View Series

In Hebrew thought, to meditate upon the Scriptures is to quietly repeat them, giving oneself entirely to God, and abandoning outside distractions. The two main things that we are told to meditate on are God's word and God's goodness. Paul tells us, 'Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things' (Philippians 4:8).

We see the difference between the active and contemplative Christian life illustrated in the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word, while Martha was distracted with much serving. Jesus said that Mary had chosen the best thing because she sat at his feet and was not distracted. Meditative prayer is exactly this, sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing his word. This is a wonderful example of the art of meditative prayer. We must allow time to let the Lord speak to us through meditating on him and his word in prayer.

Steps for Meditative Prayer

1. Designate a quiet place. In a world full of distractions, we need a quiet place where we can allow God to speak to us. The most effective place to pray is where you are least likely to be disturbed.


2. Give yourself 20-30 minutes. Many people only spend a few minutes each day in prayer. Very few people actually spend time in meditative prayer. It takes time to drown out the cares of the world, sit, prayerfully meditate on God's word, and then allow him to speak to us.


3. Choose Scripture to prayerfully meditate on. Prayerfully select a passage of Scripture that means something to you. Let it either focus on the goodness of God, the promises of God, or the worship of God.


4. Allow God to speak to you. This is the hardest part. Many people never hear the Lord speak to them simply because they don't allow him to. We need to sit and listen for the voice of the Lord. Samuel was open to hearing from the Lord (1 Samuel 3). He said, 'Speak, for your servant hears.'

Religion Saves

Check out Pastor Mark Driscoll's newest book: Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions. Find out more.

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Preacher, Pray This…

Preacher, Pray This…: "

“Lord, keep me from saying words that later need recalling;

Guard me, lest idle speech may from my lips be falling:

But when, within my place, I must and ought to speak,

Then to my words give grace, lest I offend the weak.”

(Johann Heermann, 1585-1647)

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Love-based repentance

Love-based repentance: "

“In fear-based repentance, we don’t learn to hate the sin for itself, and it doesn’t lose its attractive power. We learn only to refrain from it for our own sake. But when we rejoice over God’s sacrificial, suffering love for us – seeing what it cost him to save us from sin – we learn to hate the sin for what it is. We see what the sin cost God. What most assures us of God’s unconditional love (Jesus’s costly death) is what most convicts us of the evil of sin. Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin.”

- Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods (New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2009), 172.

(Purchase this book and others through WTS Books)

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What Makes a Church Grow?

What Makes a Church Grow?: "

This interesting post over at the Gospel Coalition includes some interesting statistics on what really attracts people to a church. It might not be what you think:

Thom Rainer did a study a number of years ago asking formerly unchurched people the open ended question “What factors led you to choose this church?” A lot of surveys had been done asking the unchurched what they would like in a church. But this study asked the formerly unchurched why they actually were now in a church. The results were surprising. 11% said worship style led them to their church. 25% said children’s/youth ministry. 37% said that sensed God’s presence at their church. 41% said someone had witnessed to them from the church, and 49% mentioned friendliness as the reason for choosing their church. Can you guess the top two responses? Doctrine and preaching—88% said the doctrine led them to their church and 90% said the preaching led them there, in particular, pastor who preached with certitude and conviction.

Lord, send us more men like that! No more Osteens!

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