Stewardship

God doesn't want stockpiles. He wants all of our stock piled on his alter of ministry. The widow gave all that she had, while the others gave what they could easily afford. With a cheerful heart, give God everything you have: your life, your money, your resources, your relationships, your hobbies, and your free time.

I compartmentalize my giving into a well-budgeted percentage. I love giving to God but I lean more towards the guy who can afford to give to God, not the gal who gives more than she can afford - everything.

Stewardship is strategically living life in the light of using my resources to joyfully further God's kingdom. The more I spend on God from an unselfish heart, the more I invest in His kingdom.

Your Lust Hates Your Guts

As you traverse the exciting times of being a young person, you are getting to know a part of you that is tricky - your lust. Your lust is almost like a separate entity inside of you. It hijacks your mind, supercharges your hormones, and plans out multiple methods to fulfill itself.

If you are a nonChristian, your lust is working in concert with your mind and spirit because all three want the same thing: instantaneous fulfillment of your lust. Your only hope is asking God to change your heart. Read Ephesians 1 and 2.

So, what is lust? It is the part of you that strains against any restrictions to fulfill itself. It doesn't care about you, about God, or about any other being. It may want sex or it may want technology or it may want lots of friends. It may want power and recognition. Or, it may just want to be told that you are the most amazing person in the world. Your lust is the opposite of God's love.

Lust gets out of control. Lust manipulates you to go to places and do things that you know you should never do. Lust starts by getting you to compromise in small ways because lust knows that if you feed it the little sins that you will eventually partake in the big, sick sins.

I just watched a newsclip about an Idaho teacher who had sex with a 13 year old boy. The judge publically said that she acted in lust. This teacher probably started to make small lust compromises and eventually gave herself totally over to her lust. Like her, you have an enemy within: Your Lust. Her lust destroyed her publically. Your lust will destroy you publically or privately.

The only antidote to your lust is to fight it minute by minute with the truth of the Bible. Take a stand now! Don't let your lust hijack your mind and make secret plans to fulfill itself. Take every thought captive to Jesus Christ. Live every minute in the way of Jesus Christ: Love God and Love Everyone Else! Starve out your lust by feeding your spirit and mind the TRUTH of Jesus Christ!

A little Piper for Christmas

Forty-eight for sixty-eight. Give some Christmas cheer to your friends and co-workers. Every few Christmases I wrap up about 20 Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ books and leave them in the break room at work with a sign or card that says, "Merry Christmas - Help Yourself"

It's also an adventure to put together a small gift bag for the neighbors, slipping a little Seeing and Savoring in just in case.

Cases of 48 books are delivered to your door for $68.

http://www.desiringgod.org/Store/OutreachSpecials/2009Christmas/

200,000 Baby Chicks Ground Alive... 1.37 Million Baby Humans Mutilated Alive

How do you feel about the egg-producing industry throwing 200,000 baby chicks alive into meat grinders? Is that wrong?

How do you feel about the abortion industry sucking the limbs off of, sticking scissors into the skulls of, dissolving the bodies of ALIVE baby humans? Is that wrong?

Well, if you are a typical American, the baby chicks' cheeping death chorus disgusts you. But, the silent agony of human nerves being ripped and broken as abortionists chop and destroy baby bodies does little to you emotionally.

What's wrong with us? Read Romans 1. We've chosen to serve a created god rather than serve God. God's children feel the pain of abortion because all babies are created in the image of God. If we don't feel that pain, we need to trade in our god and get to know the real God. He is the God of justice and love. He openly opposes the destruction of human babies on the golden altar of choice.

Cessna is out - Kodiak is IN!

Most of us have been aware that the Cessna fuel (Avgas) is phazing out, thus limiting the usefulness of mission planes of the Cessna variety. So, mission agencies like New Tribes Mission and Wycliffe Associates are pinching pennies to purchase jet fuel KODIAK planes. Jet fuel is readily available and cheap, and Kodiaks are readily available but not so cheap.

New Tribes Mission is planning on purchasing 14 Kodiaks over the next few years. Wycliffe Associates, who provide support for Bible translators, is also planning to purchase Kodiaks. The catch is that Kodiaks cost $1.3 million and with the missionary discount roll out of the hanger at just over $900K. This may sound outrageous, but a small cost when all of us pool our money together. Do a little research as to what missionary planes are utilized for and then click through to donate to Wycliffe Associates.

Cross-wearing Christian Stabbed and Bludgeoned to Death by Muslims

"The owner and 14 of his employees beat Ishtiaq with stones, iron rods and clubs, and stabbed him multiple times with kitchen knives as Ishtiaq pleaded for mercy." Read more about this late-breaking story out of Pakistan

If Ishtiaq had survived, the power of Jesus' forgiveness is that Ishtiaq would have forgiven the enraged Muslims. No other religion in the world can give the power of forgiveness like the God of Christianity can. Pray for the 15 Muslims who brutally murdered Ishtiaq Masih. Good works permeated with selfishness merit nothing in the sight of God. Only the wrath-absorbing death of Jesus can satisfy God's wrath against your sin.

Facebook Evangelism

I'm experimenting with making short creation gospel videos. Here's one of my first tries. Can you give me any suggestions?