GodThoughtsWired! Archives

Sunday, August 6, 2006

Keys to Life: Continued

Keys to Life: Continued
Brad Reiches
Aug 6 2006 10:00PM

Please visit our website at www.godthoughts.org, or www.willowspringchurch.org to download today's audio version of GodThoughts Wired!, music, sermons, sermonettes, the Bible Says Series, and The Lifestyle of the Disciple Series...ALL FOR FREE. You may also go to the Apple iTunes Music Store on the web and search the podcast directory for Willow Spring Church and/or GodThoughts. Subscribe there for automatic updates and download the daily GodThoughts podcast directly to your i-pod...ALL FOR FREE!

I am in Mexico this week with 23 others for our 2nd annual Mexico Missions trip at the Rancho De Sus Ninos in Tecate. I am therefore unavailable for correspondence this week, and thank you so much for your prayers. -Pastor Brad

Tuesday, August 8, 2006
GodThoughts Wired!

"A Few More...Keys to Life"

"Don't worry - worship.
Don't panic - praise."

-Pastor Brad

While in church the other day I was impressed with the following:

DESIRE...to do His will:

"For I determined to know nothing among you
except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

I Corinthians 2:2

DECIDE...to pay the price:

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His sufferings..."

Philippians 3:10

DARE...to trust His promises:

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

Job 13:15

Desire, decide, dare. These are some additional keys to the abundant life (see John 10:10) that Jesus has invited us to live.

Friday, August 4, 2006

Sincerely Deluded

Sincerely Deluded
Brad Reiches
Aug 4 2006 11:41AM

Friday, August 4, 2006
GodThoughts Wired!

"Sincerely Deluded"

I in them and Thou in Me, that they may
be perfected in unity.

John 17:23

There has been much talk in recent years about "unity" in the body of Christ. "We need to be unified," the preacher will declare. "We need to come together in unity," the author writes. And tragically, many have compromised the integrity of the word of God under the guise of "the pursuit of unity."

While I certainly agree that unity in the body of Christ is important, the following must be understood:

Unity is a bi-product.

Unity cannot be taught. It doesn't happen because someone writes a book or brochure about it. It isn't the result of an influencers plea. Rather, unity is the result of like-mindedness. It is as A.W. Tozer declared in his magnificent treatise on "The Pursuit of God:"

One hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork

are automatically tuned to each other. They are

of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but

to another standard to which each one must individually

bow. So one hundred worshippers meeting together,

each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer

to each other than they could possibly be were they

to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away

from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion

is perfected when private religion is purified.

"Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified." The unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17 does not require a compromise of the truth, but rather a mutual acknowledgement of, and submission to the truth.

Truth, by its very nature, divides. No, I didn't say it was divisive. Divisiveness happens as result of choice. People CHOOSE to be divisive. Truth, however, is a divider. A divider of what is true and what is false. People who come together in mutual submission to the truth will naturally be unified.

Christians who water down the immutable truth of God's word in pursuit of "unity" will never achieve what they seek. They are sincere, no doubt.

Sincerely deluded.

Thursday, August 3, 2006

One of God's Secrets: Conclusion

One of God's Secrets: Conclusion
Brad Reiches
Aug 3 2006 12:54AM

Thursday, August 3, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"One of God's Secrets!"

CONCLUSION: CONSIDER SAUL*

"The secrets of the Lord are for those who fear Him..."

Psalm 25:14

Yesterday I mentioned a list entitled, "Friends of God." Unfortunately, there is another list that begins (or at least includes) the name, Saul.** It is from the life of this Saul that we learn:

Partial obedience is DISOBEDIENCE!

Beware God's response to "partial obedience."

-"I regret that I have made Saul king" (1 Samuel 15:11).

-God literally calls Saul's "partial obedience" "evil in the sight of the Lord...rebellion...insubordination (v. 19, 23).

-Because of Saul's "partial obedience" God said, "The Lord has rejected you from being king of Israel...The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today" (see v. 26, 28).

So, the next time you take the time to consider what the level of your obedience to God is going to be...Consider Saul.

Or, to put it another way for the sake of the 21st century Church; the next time you hear a preacher making light of partial obedience or unrighteousness or impurity or unholiness...encourage him/her to read 1 Samuel, chapter 15.

*This is not the New Testament "Saul" who would later be named "Paul." This is a completely different individual from the Old Testament.

**Please take the time to read Saul's story in 1 Samuel 15:1-35

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

One of God's Secrets!

One of God's Secrets!
Brad Reiches
Aug 2 2006 10:50AM

Please visit our website at www.godthoughts.org, or www.willowspringchurch.org

to download today's audio version of GodThoughts Wired!, music, sermons, sermonettes, the Bible Says Series, and The Lifestyle of the Disciple Series...ALL FOR FREE. You may also go to the Apple iTunes Music Store on the web and search the podcast directory for Willow Spring Church and/or GodThoughts. Subscribe there for automatic updates and download the daily GodThoughts podcast directly to your i-pod...ALL FOR FREE!

Wednesday, August 2, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"One of God's Secrets!"

INTRODUCTION

"The secrets of the Lord are for those who fear Him..."

Psalm 25:14

Inherent in our studies of Abraham lies a secret. A marvelous nugget of truth. Just for fun let me start with a hint. The secret is buried deep within the following classic passage of scripture.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength."

Mark 12:30; see also Deuteronomy 6:4

Do you see it? Ok, here's a hint. What is missing from the following paraphrase: "You shall love the Lord your God with your heart and with your soul and with your mind and with your strength." Have you found it yet? The key word in this classic commandment is the word, "all." God is HUGE on loyalty. In fact, He says as much in Hosea 6:6, "I (God) delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice."

Why was David called a man after God's own heart? Because he was willing to do ALL of God's will. "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will" (Acts 13:22, bold mine).

Why was Caleb one of only two men out of an ENTIRE GENERATION to inherit the promised land? Because he obeyed the Lord his God FULLY! "I (CALEB) followed the Lord my God fully...because you (Caleb) have followed the Lord my (Moses) God fully...because he (Caleb) followed the Lord God of Israel fully" (Joshua 14:8,9,14, bold mine).

And why did God pick Noah out of an ENTIRE WORLD! to escape God's judgement by building the ark? Yes! That's right! Because he was willing to do the WHOLE will of God, no matter the price, no matter the cost. "Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did" (Genesis 6:22, bold mine).

Yes, there is a subset of individuals within heaven's walls whose names are on a list entitled, "Friends of God." Among others, that list includes Abraham, David, Caleb and Noah.

How 'bout you?

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Learning from the Legends: More from Abraham

Learning from the Legends: More from Abraham
Brad Reiches
Aug 1 2006 12:19AM

Tuesday, August 1, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"Learning From the Legends"