Friday, March 30, 2007

5 Years From Now...


5 Years From Now...
Brad Reiches
Mar 30 2007 09:43AM

ATTENTION ALL PASTORS AND CHURCH INFLUENCERS!

I have a deeply heartfelt request that I believe has been promted by our Lord.

"Would you prayerfully consider asking the Elder Board of your church
to include the GodThoughts Ministry in your Missions Budget for 2008?"

Currently, the entire GodThoughts Ministry is underwritten by myself, our partners, and Willow Spring Church.  Each year we freely provide thousands of dollars of discipleship resources all over the world.  Our only limitations are financial.

Has GodThoughts been an asset to you and your ministry?  Do you believe in this ministry?  All of our financials are open and accountable.  I would love to send a "presentation package" to your Board.  Or, better yet,  would you allow me to come to your church personally, at our cost, and give a presentation to your Board face to face.

It's true...we couldn't be more serious about maximizing what God is clearly blessing.  Is it time for your church to join us in the privilege/resposibility?

Sincerely,

Pastor Brad


Friday, March 30, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"5 Years From Now..."

"In religion and politics, people's beliefs
and convictions are in almost every case
gotten at second hand, and without examination."
- Mark Twain

It has surprised and saddened me over the years to see how relatively few people can reasonably explain why they believe what they believe.  It has been said that "an unexamined life is not worth living."  Wow!  That's probably not too far from the truth!  The Bible says,

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith;
examine yourselves!  Or do you not recognize
this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in
you - unless indeed you fail the test?
2 Corinthians 13:5

It has been said that happiness is the result of one's behavior aligning with their values.  Many people are "joyless" because the don't practice what they believe.  "But let a man examine himself" (1 Corinthians 11:28).  Taking time to think is one of the most valuable things a human being can do.

You are who you are and where you are today because of "seeds" (see Galatians 6:7-9) planted yesterday.  In five years you won't be who you could be or should be; you will have become what you settled for.

If you don't like the fruit...change the seed!




 

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

How to Get an Answer 5


How to Get an Answer 5
Brad Reiches
Mar 28 2007 11:37PM

ATTENTION ALL PASTORS AND CHURCH INFLUENCERS!

I have a deeply heartfelt request that I believe has been promted by our Lord.

"Would you prayerfully consider asking the Elder Board of your church
to include the GodThoughts Ministry in your Missions Budget for 2008?"

Currently, the entire GodThoughts Ministry is underwritten by myself, our partners, and Willow Spring Church.  Each year we freely provide thousands of dollars of discipleship resources all over the world.  Our only limitations are financial.

Has GodThoughts been an asset to you and your ministry?  Do you believe in this ministry?  All of our financials are open and accountable.  I would love to send a "presentation package" to your Board.  Or, better yet,  would you allow me to come to your church personally, at our cost, and give a presentation to your Board face to face.

It's true...we couldn't be more serious about maximizing what God is clearly blessing.  Is it time for your church to join us in the privilege/resposibility?

Sincerely,

Pastor Brad


Thursday, March 29, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"How to get an Answer!"
Increasing the Odds of Answered Prayer:  5



#5.  The willingness to let God answer in His power.

To be honest, I guess I've always pretty much had a problem with trying to "help" God answer my prayers.  I guess I have a hard time just being "clay."  The Bible says,

"Cease striving and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10

My biggest challenge has been in learning to discern the difference between striving and, "doing my work heartily unto the Lord" (see Colossians 3:23; 1 Corinthians 10:31).  I think "the wave analogy" has helped me the most.  That is, only God can create the waves.  It is futile for us to try and create them.  Our role is to wait for the waves and be prepared for them.  So that when they come...and they surely will come, we can ride them with all our might (see 1 Corinthians 10:31).

God doesn't need you to help
Him answer your prayer.

And by the way, I'm pretty much preaching to myself here...thanks for listening.


Tuesday, March 27, 2007

How to Get an Answer 4


How to Get an Answer 4
Brad Reiches
Mar 27 2007 11:22PM

ATTENTION ALL PASTORS AND CHURCH INFLUENCERS!

I have a deeply heartfelt request that I believe has been promted by our Lord.

"Would you prayerfully consider asking the Elder Board of your church
to include the GodThoughts Ministry in your Missions Budget for 2008?"

Currently, the entire GodThoughts Ministry is underwritten by myself, our partners, and Willow Spring Church.  Each year we freely provide thousands of dollars of discipleship resources all over the world.  Our only limitations are financial.

Has GodThoughts been an asset to you and your ministry?  Do you believe in this ministry?  All of our financials are open and accountable.  I would love to send a "presentation package" to your Board.  Or, better yet,  would you allow me to come to your church personally, at our cost, and give a presentation to your Board face to face.

It's true...we couldn't be more serious about maximizing what God is clearly blessing.  Is it time for your church to join us in the privilege/resposibility?

Sincerely,

Pastor Brad


Wednesday, March 28, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"How to get an Answer!"
Increasing the Odds of Answered Prayer:  4


#4  The willingness to let God answer in His own way...for His own purpose.

"My ways are higher than your ways

and My thoughts than your thoughts..."
Isaiah 55:8

Remember, God is a big-picture God.  The work that He is doing in your life typically involves others, and typically involves eternal purposes as well as meaning for today.

"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice up to Him."
-Pastor Harley Allen

For example, we pray for patience and God brings trial.  We ask  God to draw us closer to Him and He sends tribulation (see Romans 5:3-5).  We ask to see God's hand of provision...and  lose our job.  We ask for purity...and He sends a test. 

"Whether for correction, or for His world,
or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen."
Job 37:23

And so on.

Monday, March 26, 2007

How to Get an Answer 3

How to Get an Answer 3
Brad Reiches
Mar 26 2007 07:00PM

ATTENTION ALL PASTORS AND CHURCH INFLUENCERS!

I have a deeply heartfelt request that I believe has been promted by our Lord.

"Would you prayerfully consider asking the Elder Board of your church
to include the GodThoughts Ministry in your Missions Budget for 2008?"

Currently, the entire GodThoughts Ministry is underwritten by myself, our partners, and Willow Spring Church.  Each year we freely provide thousands of dollars of discipleship resources all over the world.  Our only limitations are financial.

Has GodThoughts been an asset to you and your ministry?  Do you believe in this ministry?  All of our financials are open and accountable.  I would love to send a "presentation package" to your Board.  Or, better yet,  would you allow me to come to your church personally, at our cost, and give a presentation to your Board face to face.

It's true...we couldn't be more serious about maximizing what God is clearly blessing.  Is it time for your church to join us in the privilege/resposibility?

Sincerely,

Pastor Brad


Tuesday, March 27, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"How to get an Answer!"
Increasing the Odds of Answered Prayer:  3

#3  The willingness to let God answer in His own time.

"Many of life's failures are men who did not realize
how close they were to success when they gave up."
-
Thomas Edison

I believe that too often we tend think that when God says "wait," He is saying no.  The ancient sage Habakkuk admonishes us that, "The vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail.  Though it tarries, wait for it.  For it will certainly come, it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:3).

Why does God  sometimes respond to our prayers by telling us to wait?  Some Biblical case studies of why God sometimes says "WAIT" would be: 

-To prepare you for the answer (i.e. Noah, Genesis 7:6).  Sometimes God is ready...but you're not!

-To prepare others for the answer (i.e. Jonah, Jonah 3:10).  Sometimes you're ready, but those influenced or impacted by your prayer are not.

-To test our faith (i.e. Israelites, Deuteronomy 8:3).  Sometimes the only way to get our faith to grow, is for God to place us in a position where we must place our trust in what we don't yet see.

-To produce endurance and maturity (i.e. David, James 1-2-4).  Sometimes God has bigger plans than we do.

-To develop our character (i.e. Moses, Romans 5:3-5).  God is always operating with an eternal perspective.

"Through faith and patience inherit the promises."
Hebrews 6:12