NextGenKent

What would happen if the church you attended asked everyone to give their complete paycheck as their offering? Then your church would each week distributed all of the money for all of its members’ needs. What solutions would this bring? I can definitely see how I, personally, would be affected in my attitude. If I chose to do this I wouldn’t spend money on frivolous stuff like ice cream or movies. I would enjoy “things” less and spend more time with people. I would take a greater interest in people and help them when I could because I think I would have more time on my hands )since I wouldn’t be eating ice cream and watching movies). What problems would this bring? Well, I could see that power behind the money distribution would be quite tricky. Each request would need to be legit and proof would be needed for expenses so deceptive schemes would be unmasked. I would hope people would be more humble but I know that even the best of us would seek to be exceptions to the rules. This...

Two of my four children are still in grade school. The other day I heard the one recounting that age old mantra of "tattletale tattletale!" We are trying to teach our children when it's right and wrong to be a tattletale. I can only hope that the advice is taken when needed. But this morning I was meditating on Acts 1: 8-9, where Jesus tells his disciples that they better be his tattletales. They MUST be his tattletales. Yes, and they were going to have help to be his tattletales. He said to them, "When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be my witnesses . . ." aka, Blabbers! Imagine that! Divine power to be a tattletale. "Hey! What is your superpower?" "Being a tattletale, of course!" How can I express to you the necessity of being Jesus' tattletale? When anything good happens to you, blab and jaw it to others! Go on, gab and jibber jabber about the Lord and what He's doing in your life! Prattle, rattle, ...

HAVE YOU EVER FASTED? I mean as a part of your spiritual disciplines ... perhaps for Lent? Did fasting pay off? Read Matthew 26:36-46 then reread verse 41. Let’s get the context by reviewing a little bit: Matthew prepares us for the seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread starting and ending on a Sabbath (v17) which ends with Passover > Jesus spends Passover with the disciples > Judas leaves to betray Jesus > He institutes the Lord’s Supper (akin to the removal of leaven was the forgiveness of sins) > Jesus predicts Peter’s denial > Peter (and the others) denies he will deny > and Jesus arrives at the garden in Gethsemane. < INSERT GETHSEMANE PRAYER TIME > > Jesus is betrayed by Judas > swords are swung > an ear is healed > Jesus is arrested > the disciples flee the scene > Scriptures are fulfilled as Jesus goes to Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin > Peter denies Jesus in the courtyard > the rooster crows. Again, in between these even...

Do you know someone who always seems to be sharing answers to his or her prayers? When was the last time you had one prayer answered? When it has been awhile it can sure seem like the heavens are closed. Especially when others are sharing God is answering. Read James 5:17-18 and then ask yourself, "How hard can it be to pray?" “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” Let's face it, some prayers are more powerful and effective than others. Powerful prayers are obviously those that work, and effective prayers mean those that work the right way. James says powerful and effective prayers come from a certain type of person = a righteous person. So it seems fit to ask, when my prayers are not answered, "Am I not a righteous person?" I must not be. *cricket *cricket *cricke...