Blog site moving

Hi! For ease and functionality (on our end) we're moving this blog site to:

www.stjoecrosspointe.wordpress.com

Please bookmark this new page and stay with us! We pray that these posts are a blessing from God for you all!

Why Pray? Why Fast?

Our church is devoting this week to prayer and fasting, to intercession for God's kingdom and work to advance through our labors.

Yesterday I found especially hard to fast, first, because my flesh loves food too much, and, second, because of unbelief. As the smells of Rebecca's cooking and the sight of food filled my senses, I found an inner fight taking place over this: "Is this REALLY helping anything? REALLY accomplishing anything?" How Satan would desire us to give in to such doubts.

And praise God who delivers us in weakness. I pulled out Valley of Vision and was found a lot of help and encouragement and assistance to pray some of those prayers; I was strengthened. And then this morning I found in 2 Cor 1:11, "You also must help us [Paul and his co-laborers] by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."

Help our unbelief heavenly Father!
Strengthen our hands!
Let your blessing flow through us in answer to our prayers.

Fasting, Get to It!

Here's a practical word on fasting for those who are engaging in the week of prayer and fasting with our church:

It is not the most common habit in our times and circles to fast. Extended fasts are especially rare. If fasting is new to some of you, let this be an opportunity to begin afresh, so that you can follow Christ’s instructions when he teaches his disciples “When you fast . . .” (Matt 6:16). Know that if you decide to fast for the entire week you will not surely die! When deciding if and how long you will fast, remember that we all are in different places in life; life circumstances will play a major factor in what is prudent and manageable for you (e.g., a man who primarily works an office job vs. a man who roofs houses all day). Please consult the elders if you have any questions or need some further guidance. If this is your first time or first in a long while, please consider and choose one of the following options. God will supply your every need; He will magnify Himself as great in your weakness.


A very helpful website for information on fasting is one from Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusades for Christ: www.ccci.org, “How to Fast”.

The average person (average build and metabolism) can go on liquids (juices and water) for over 3 weeks before the body begins to deteriorate; a fast of a few days is actually very healthy and helpful to your body. The fast we are suggesting is one abstaining from food, but taking in juices and water. Some reminders for an extended fast: you need salts, electrolytes, vitamins and sugars, so stock up on fruit and vegetable juices, plus water. By Day 3 or so, you will begin to feel much better as your digestive system goes into “hibernation” (hunger subsides, energy increases). Don’t drink milk (protein will restart your digestive tract). Get plenty of sleep. Don’t overtax your body physically. Taper meals off before the fast and restart eating slowly. Carbs and proteins should be first to go, last to be re-instated.

The New Perspective

In studying Galatians, I came across 3 lectures by D. A. Carson that give a VERY helpful summary of the whole New Perspective issue.

If you're not familiar with the New Perspective, it is a wave of Bible scholars (albeit a rather fractured movement) that are reinterpreting Paul, moving away from the "traditional Protestant" understanding of justification, righteousness, and the Gospel.

CLICK HERE

Living Simply 6

From Randy Alcorn's Money, Possessions, and Eternity:

We should live more simply--and give more generously--because of teh world's dire physical needs.

. . . even though earning just enough to meet the needs of my family may seem nonmaterialistic, it's actually selfish when I could earn enough to care for others as well [Eph 4:8]. The point of "living simply" is not so we can say no to money, but so that we can use money to say yes to God.

Living Simply 5

From Randy Alcorn's Money, Possessions and Eternity:

We should live more simply--and give more generously--because of the dire spiritual need of the world.

[Quoting John Piper] Three billion people today are outside Jesus Christ. Two-thirds of them have no viable Christian witness in their culture. It they are to hear--and Christ commands that they hear--then cross-cultural missionaries will have to be sent and paide for. All the wealth needed to send this new army of good news ambassadors is already in the church. If we, like Paul, are content with the simple necessities of life, hundreds of millions of dollars in the church would be relaesed to take the gospel to the frontiers. The revolution of joy and freedom it would cause at home would be the best local witness imaginable.

Living Simply 4

From Randy Alcorn's Money, Possessions, and Eternity:

We should live more simply--and give more generously--because of the reward we'll receive in heaven and the joy it will bring us.

Songs for August and September

It's a little long for one post, but here's all the songs for August and September.
[Disclaimer: this is not the final draft and subject to change. There must be no stoning, egging, or otherwise distempered outbursts if you expected to sing a song and it got changed for the worship service! August 1 and 8 for example have some substantial changes.]

HYMNS – August and September, 2010
August 1

He is Exalted

Am I a Soldier of the Cross

Cling to the Crucified

O Worship the King

Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts (Red Mt.)

He’s Always Been Faithful


August 8

Let us Love and Sing and Wonder

Cast Your Burden on the Lord

A Debtor to Mercy

Give to the Lord Immortal Praise

Rock of Ages (When the Day Seems Long)

Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer

August 15

Beneath the Cross (RUF)

El Shaddai

His Forever

Let it Be Said of Us

You Never Change (NEW* Sov Grace – From “Sons and Daughters” CD)

It is Well

August 22

All People that On Earth Do Dwell

How Great Thou Art

I Will Glory in My Redeemer

The Glory of the Cross (NEW* Sov Grace – from “Songs for the Cross-Centered Life” CD)

I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord

Lion of Judah

August 29

Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken

Here is Love

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee

How Sweet the Day

Jesus, I am Resting, Resting

You are the Way




September 5

Beneath the Cross (Getty)

Hallelujah! Thine the Glory

On Jordan’s Stormy Banks

He’s Always Been Faithful

Jesus, Lover of My Soul (RUF)

Mercies Anew

September 12

As the Hart Longs

The Gospel Song

Holy, Holy, Holy

Jesus, Cast a Look on Me

You Never Change (NEW* Sov Grace)

Jesus, Thank You


September 19

Arise My Soul, Arise (RUF)

Forever

Lead Me to the Rock (Red Mt.)

Friend of Sinners

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

The Glory of the Cross (NEW* Sov Grace – from “Songs for the Cross-Centered Life” CD)

September 26

All Must Be Well

Endless Praises

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

O Wondrous Love

How Deep (Valley of Vision)

It is Not Death to Die

Missionary Biography

I'm always encouraged by missionary biography. Here's a good interview, showing what God did with one sinner:

(There's also several other comments about revival in our own day about half way through.)

Living Simply 3

From Randy Alcorn's Money, Possessions and Eternity (these posts are intended to whet your appetite to buy the book!):

We should live more simply--and give more generously--because we're God's pipeline.

Christians are God's delivery people, through whom he does his giving to a needy world. We are conduits of God's grace to others. Our eternal investment portfolios should be full of the most strategic kingdom-building projects to which we can disburse God's funds. If we forget that we're God's stewards--his delivery drivers--it's like FedEx or UPS forgetting that what they carry in their trucks doesn't belong to them. When that happens, deliveries grind to a halt and people don't get what they need.

God comes right out and tells why he gives us more money than we need. It's not so we can find more ways to spend it. It's not so we can indulge ourselves and spoil our children. It's not so we can insulate ourselves from needing god's provision. It's so we can give and give generously (2 Cor 8:14, 9:11)

Judging and Confronting :: The Danger of Playing God

I've been reading some of Ken Sande's articles and papers this summer. He runs a ministry called "Peacemakers". Here's three great articles on confronting and (or versus) judging others. Part 2 especially gets to the nitty-gritty. When you think you can discern the heart motives of another (assuming you are even interpreting their actions correctly) you're trying to play God.

http://www.ccef.org/judging-others-danger-playing-god-part-1

part 2

part 3

Living Simply 2

From Randy Alcorn's "Money, Possessions and Eternity":

We should live more simply--and give more generously--because it frees us up and shifts our center of gravity.

Giving will spark a Copernican revolution in the lives of Christians who understand that life doesn't revolve around the things of earth. In giving, we surrender our possessions to their proper center of gravity: God.

Giving and simpler living loosen the grip of materialism on our lives. Giving away what we don't need is the greatest cure for affluenza. How can we expect to embrace the Christian experience of Paul, Luther, Wesley, Muller, Carmichael, Taylor, and a host of others without also embracing their attitude toward possessions and the simpler lifestyle it fostered?