Cowboy Church 7/12/09 - Tithe

Scripture: Joshua 11:21-22...they remained only in Gaza, in Gath and in Ashdod.

Joshua was given a commandment to clear the Promised Land of all Pagen people in Israel. God's commandment was not obeyed. Many times a gradegy occures when a commandment is not obeyed.

Put God 1st and he will Bless you

Betty Crocker Recipe for Titheing

1. Don't fudge - dont skrimp


2. Don't Budge


3. Don't Grudge - be a cheerful giver


4. Don't Judge

Any area of disobedience must be removed from your life for you to receive his full blessings

Your tithe belongs to God, anything above that is giving!

You cannot out give God!

Commit thy works to the Lord and they thy thoughts shall be established. This is my prayer, that my daily efforts will be committed to the Lord and that I will grow in his grace.

Prayer for our Country and President

After the election last November, I felt moved to get to a more positive place regarding our president elect. I returned to a web site I had found after 9/11. The Presidential Prayer Team was born out of the national tragedy of September 11, 2001. Since then, millions have joined together through PPT to pray for the President, his cabinet, the nation and our Armed Forces. PPT is the largest organization dedicated to praying for our President and our nation. To visit the site: http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org

I followed this site between the election and inauguration. There are daily scripture references and prayer points. I find this a good way to begin my morning devotional time. Today's thoughts were especially moving.

So that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. —Romans 15:32 (NIV)

PRESIDENTIAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
Much has been given us from on high, and much will rightly be expected of us in return. Into our care the ten talents have been entrusted; and we are to be pardoned neither if we squander and waste them, nor yet if we hide them in a napkin; for they must be fruitful in our hands. Ever throughout the ages, at all times and among all peoples, prosperity has been fraught with danger, and it behooves us to beseech the Giver of all things that we may not fall into love of ease and luxury; that we may not lose our sense of moral responsibility; that we may not forget our duty to God, and to our neighbor. —President Theodore Roosevelt, October 26, 1907

Today's Prayer from PPT: Gracious God, You call us into fellowship, not only with Yourself, but also with one another. We praise and thank You for creating us with the need to spend time with You as we spend time in worship, fellowship and praise with one another. We love You Lord, and thank You for the gift of the Church, Your means of accomplishing and working out your will in the world.

I have not been in church fellowship for the past several years. I have known for some time that I needed that fellowship. Last Sunday I joined the Dallas County Cowboy Church and I know that God is working in that church and he is going to bless me in my worship there.

Prayer of Jabez

I have prayed this prayer before and God gave me almost more responsibility than I would accept. I felt inadequate! I did not keep up the journey of receiving God's Blessings. I guess I just was not ready. As I again begin the study of the prayer of Jabez, I feel that I am in a place where I am ready to believe and understand what God has in store for me. I have just completed reading the Bruce Wilkerson Book The Prayer of Jabez.

The Prayer of Jabez NKJV

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

"Oh that You would bless me indeed

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain!"

So God granted him what he requested.

1 Chronicles 4:10

Amplified Bible

Jabez cried to the God of Israel saying,

Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border,

and that Your hand might be with me,

and You would keep me from evil

so it might not hurt me!

And God granted his request.

I am going to follow the 30 day plan as outlined in Wilkinson's book:

1. Pray the Jabez prayer every morning, and keep a record of daily prayer prayer.
2. Write out the prayer and keep it where you'll be reminded of your new vision.

3. Reread the Bruce Wilkinson Book once a week.

4. Tell another person of your Commitment and ask him/her to check up on you.

5. Begin to keep a record of changes in your life.

6. Start praying the Jabez prayer for your family, friends, and local church.

To bless means to favor, honor, or bestow special gifts or status. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits" Psalm 103:2

Wilkinson is talking about the kind of blessing where God's favor on us--His supernatural gifts that we don't earn that we can't receive from any one else.

The blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it.] Proverbs 10:22 Amplified Bible--The Criswell Study Bible notes say: "The blessing of the Lord," not chance or labor, give the increase. This blessing, found in the path of obedience, is completely by grace from the hand of the loving heavenly Father (James 1:17) Nothing is added to that blessing which is totally efficient and sufficient in itself, in order to complete it.

Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all (that gives) light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation (rising or setting) or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse]. James 1:17 Amplified Bible

When reading in my Chriswell Bible, I came across these notes I had written many years ago from a sermon on 7/10/83:

God speaks in three ways: 1) through the scripture 2) through the sermon 3) through the spirit.

Three things we all should do: 1) Tune in - swift to hear 2) Tone down - slow to speak 3) Sweeten up - slow to wrath

Cinnamon Buns, Chicken Necks and Hippies

Pastor Mike has a since of humor as you can see from the sermon title.
Scripture: Luke 9:23-26
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or he cast away?
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son on man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

Have you ever had whop rolls? you know you whop the package on the counter, then put the rolls in the pan and walla, cinnamon rolls. Pastor Mike's granddaughter likes the whop rolls! You know how the center roll is soft and has lots of icing. Do you ever find yourself wanting the best one for yourself???

Chicken Necks - Pastor mike tells about his wife growing up in a big family and thinking that the chicken neck was the most special piece of chicken. Her mother always called the chicken neck, pastor's wife was in her mid teens before she realized the sacrifice of her mother, wanting to be sure all her children got a good piece of chicken!

Hippies - Can we turn those hippies to cowboys??? Not the purpose at all - In the Mid 60s Chuck Smith of the Calvary Baptist Church in LA developed a big following of hippies --actually called the Jesus Movement. History shows that every 40 to 60 years there is a time of revival and spiritual awakening. That church began a very important movement. The hippies seemed to be attracted to Chuck Smith's church. Elders and others began complaining that their beads, clothes, buckles, etc were scratching the church pews and that the pastor needed to do something. At the next service he told the congregation - I have pondered the problem, and have a solution to our scratched pews - we will just remove them. The kids are more important than any pew. He did remove the pews and the kids brought in bean bag chairs. His ministry grew and he baptized as many as 300 in one day. Think what an influence those young Christians had on the world around them.

Who are you in these examples, the self centered person thinking only of one's self, the sacrificing mother only think of her children, the pastor sharing Gods plan for salvation!

Today every other person you met is lost. Can you answer the call of sharing the hope of Christ with every person in Texas? What is Texas Hope 2010? Sharing the hope of Christ with every person in Texas within their own language and context by Resurrection Sunday 2010. Pastor Mike challenged us to Pray at noon every day for Texas.

PRAY: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on Texas!" I am accepted that challenge and will begin the month long program today.

Next Sunday is the grand opening of the Cowboy Church of Dallas County, I look forward to the weeks and month ahead for this new church.

New Chruch - New Beginnings

I started blogging about 7 months ago when I started my retirement blog. I have really enjoyed blogging, but want to start recording my daily Christian journey separately. I have just joined a new church and have begun truly studying the Bible daily. I was born and raised in a Baptist Church. My dad was a deacon in his later years. My husband and I were very active in the Church when my sons were in their teens, but have drifted away from weekly fellowship in the past years.

I retired in 2007 and have begun a new phase in my life, and feel that I really have a purpose to fulfill God's plan for my life. I am still looking for that plan--my niche. I have known for several years that I needed to be active in the church--but just which church is that? Since I moved from my home of 39 years about two years ago, I have wanted to find a church home that is close to home. I have found that Church. I started attending services at the Cowboy Church of Dallas County a month ago, and filled out the paperwork to join the church today. The church was established last May, and has just moved to its permanent location. The grand opening will be next Sunday.

I grew up in a small Baptist Church. If we had 300 people on an Easter Sunday, we were breaking records! My father and I were baptized together on Christmas Eve when I was 10 years old. If the church doors opened, we were there. It was a small church with a wonderful preacher. I had the same preacher from the time I was in the third grade until I married. I went back to my home town church many times over the years to hear the Pastor. He preached the sermon at my daddy's funeral, both grandparents, and my brother's funeral. My Pastor counseled with my husband and I before we married. I am looking for the feeling of that small church again. What has prompted me to find a small church are visits to my best friend's church in East Texas. She has such a good little church with wonderful music and very worthwhile programs for the youth. Visiting that little church has really tugged at my heart making me aware that it was time for me to have my own church. I have felt the need to find a church that has that small town atmosphere. My husband really likes the casual atmosphere of the church--He never enjoyed wearing a suit, and the casual dress at Cowboy Church is defiantly a plus for him.

The sermons seem to touch us in a very special way. This is just where God needs us to be! I feel the need to recap these sermons as they seem to really touch my heart. Since I am just formulating my thoughts on how I am going to proceed with this blog, I may do a Sunday evening post with a recap of that day's sermon and then journal a few times a week regarding the study I am working on at that time. My next post will be the recap of today's sermon: "Cinnamon Buns, Chicken Necks, and Hippies".