Thursday, August 28, 2014

Pour It Out

“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.”   Philippians 2:17 

The Lord woke me up with this verse the other night.  I’ve been thinking about it now for a couple of days and here are a couple of ideas.

Paul’s life was being poured out as a sacrifice for the Lord’s work.  He gave up all that was important to him in order to serve God.  (he speaks about this later in Philippians: his background, his religious heritage, his accomplishments – he says he counted all those things as “loss”)  Instead of doing things that might bring earthly pleasure, his whole life was an offering for the Lord.

My life will be poured out regardless of what I choose to do.  Time is fleeting.  Life is a vapor.  Weeks and years fly by – how did I get to be 53?  What am I spending my life for?  pursuits of happiness?  eternal significance? 

Choose wisely how you will spend your time.  Don’t spend your life – invest it for eternity.  Do things that will make a difference. 

“Faith in God’s promises frees us to risk and to find in our own experiences that it is better to lose our life than to waste it.  Therefore, it is right to risk for the cause of Christ.  It is right to engage the enemy and say “May the Lord do what seems good to him.”  (Joab in 2 Samuel 10)   It is right to serve the people of God, and say, “If I perish, I perish!”  (Esther 4)   It is right to stand before the fiery furnace of affliction and refuse to bow down to the gods of this world.  (Daniel 3)   This is the road that leads to fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.  At the end of every other road – secure and risk-free – we will put our face in our hands and say, “I wasted it”” 
~ Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper

“Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”  ~ C.T.Studd

What are you pouring your life out for?

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Mission Trip – Part 9

A big thanks to our host family!

home     ruth

ruth4

home2

The People’s Tabernacle of Worship fixed us a farewell breakfast.

 bfast2    bfast6

We concluded our time with prayer and worship.

bfast-pryer

bfast-wship

We took a quick side trip into Philadelphia to visit the Hope Pregnancy Center – a mission our church supports each year.

hope

We saw God open doors for ministry and He used us in people’s lives all week but he also changed us.  We will never be the same………

For more pictures, you can see our church web site at

http://crifc.org/MissionTripAugust2014

Mission Trip – Part 8

We started every day with devotions together out on the deck.

 devo1     devo2

We traveled into Brooklyn for the Tuesday night Prayer Service at the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

 bt3

bbqgroup

bt1

bt2

We took a quick trip into New York City to see the 911 memorial.

ny

ny2

Pleas see the next post at http://chorner.blogspot.com/2014/08/mission-trip-part-9.html

Mission Trip – Part 7

Community Outreach - Sidewalk Service at the People's Tabernacle of Worship

 out2     out4

 out8     out9

 out11     out15

out16     out14

out-c     out17

Please see the next post at http://chorner.blogspot.com/2014/08/mission-trip-part-8.html

Mission Trip – Part 6

7th Day Adventist Church - Food Pantry

We packed the blue sacks with non-perishables and the blacks sacks with meat.
The people were required to attend a church service prior to receiving their food.

 7th1     7th4

 7th10     7th-c

7thlast

Please see the next post at http://chorner.blogspot.com/2014/08/mission-trip-part-7.html

Mission Trip – Part 5

People’s Tabernacle of Worship - We moved furniture, organized cupboards, helped with demolition and clean-up.

pt1    pt1a

pt3     pt2

pt8     pt6

ptgroup-prayer

This will be a beautiful sanctuary when they are done with the renovations.

 pt12     pt11

Please see the next post at http://chorner.blogspot.com/2014/08/mission-trip-part-6.html

Mission Trip – part 4

Pastor Crispen and his wife prepare 60 meals for the homeless each day.

Crispen0    Crispen2

ready-c   Crispen6

Crispen12   Crispen13

Crispen11   Crispen4

 Crispen15   tammy-makes-a-friend

Please see the next post at http://chorner.blogspot.com/2014/08/mission-trip-part-5.html