Bring it, John Maisel

John Maisel preached again this Sunday for our World Passion Week. John is the president of East-West Ministries. I like listening to John because I have seen him live what he preaches.

1. If the church is retreating it is not because of the strength of the enemy. It is because our eyes are off the Bridegroom.

2.The greatest enemy of living for today is postponed obedience. Today is all you have.

3.The greatest enemy of walking by faith is fear. At the core, we fear that if we do what God wants we will have to give up something we really want.

4.Will you say, "Yes, Lord, no matter what?"

Let’s pray together this old prayer that came from Christian Quote of the Day on Sunday.
Fix my thoughts, my hopes, and my desires, upon heaven and heavenly things; teach me to despise the world, to repent me deeply for my sins; give me holy purposes of amendment, and [spiritual] strength and assistances to perform faithfully whatsoever I shall intend piously. Enrich my understanding with an eternal treasure of Divine Truths, that I may know thy will:
and thou, who workest in us to will and to do of Thy good pleasure, teach me to obey all Thy commandments, to believe all Thy revelations, and make me partaker of all Thy gracious
promises.
... Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667), Holy Living [1650]

World Passion Week 2010

And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, “Do business with this until I come back.” Luke 19:13

This is World Passion Week for Northwest Bible Church. This is the time of year we gather money for our corporate efforts to take the gospel to our city and around the world. It is one way we live out our value, “loving a lost and broken world.”

John Maisel (president of East-West Ministries) kicked us off yesterday by taking us through Luke 19:11-26 (The Parable of the Ten Minas). Here were his five key points as he challenged us with the thought that we are chosen by God for this time in history to be about the business of Jesus.
1.Jesus is the King.
2.We are Jesus’ servants.
3.Jesus owns the resources.
4.Jesus’ servants will give an account.
5.The task is clear. (Chase after the King and His kingdom agenda to proclaim the gospel).

Here’s a statement that John made that really hit me, “If you have a dream that Jesus is not the center of, you have the wrong dream.”

Let’s pray each day this week that we would embrace the five things John taught us from this parable. Let’s pray that each of us will take a faith promise card and pray, “Jesus, we want what you want.” Today, let’s also pray for East-West Ministries and John Maisel as he leads that work. You can learn more about East-West at http://www.eastwest.org/site/PageServer

Please check out our outreach program, our supported missionaries and what’s going on with World Passion Week at http://northwestbible.org/index.cfm?i=1636&mid=1000&id=283486

Second JWWWYW Testimony

JWWWYW Testimonies

Sunday, we will finish our series through Mark called "Jesus, We Want What You Want." Here is a video of someone's response to that prayer. You will get to see three more of these on Sunday.

The Help We Need, Part 2

Here is a prayer from Thomas Merton that a friend sent me in view of yesterday's blog. Let's pray:

“My Lord God I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that my desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”