The Invincible Sword: The Sword Can Go Anywhere

Weekend, September 11 & 12 The Invincible Sword: The Sword Can Go Anywhere I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Recommended Reading Psalm 119:9-1 2 Timothy 2:9 Two women were recently arrested in Louisiana for bringing a Bible to jail. The problem was the version. The Bible they carried with them was the NMV--the New Methamphetamine Version. The women had hollowed the book out and were using it to smuggle crystal methamphetamine to an inmate. While it's foolish to smuggle drugs into a prison, the greater tragedy was discarding the contents of God's Book. What the inmate really needed was the Sword of the Spirit. That's a sword no metal detector will stop. The Word of God is unchained; it can go anywhere we can go, particularly if it's hidden in our hearts.  Scripture memory makes the Bible portable; you can take it with you everywhere without packing it in a purse or briefcase. It makes Scripture accessible day and night. It allows God's words to sink into your brain and permeate your subconscious and even your unconscious thoughts. It gives you a word to say to anyone, in season and out of season. Stockpile the armory of your mind with God's Word today. We must go to heaven sword in hand, all the way. Charles H. Spurgeon Read-Thru-the-Bible Haggai 1:1-Zechariah 9:17

Stirring the pot: is church music just a matter of personal preference?

My favorite email devotional comes from Dr. David Jeremiah.  Many pastors (not talking about my current pastor) think that music is just a matter of personal preference.  Assuming this is true (and I don't believe it is, but I try to get along for the sake of unity), what makes your personal preference better than my personal preference?  Anyway, before I really get up on my soap box, here is Dr. Jeremiah's Friday, March 26 devotional:

State-of-the-Art

...these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts from Me.  Isaiah 29:13

Recommended Reading Matthew 23:25-27

In 2009, Dallas Cowboys' owner and general manager, Jerry Jones, forked out a little over $1 billion to build a state-of-the-art stadium with the largest Jumbo Tron in the world (seven stories high), artwork all over the stadium, retractable roof, platform decks, party suites, 120-foot high glass doors, and an average ticket price of $160 to get in. In similar fashion, the New York Yankees got a new stadium boasting a price tag of $1.3 billion with such amenities as aqua pools, state-of-the-art weight room, full-service kitchen, lounging area, 59-by-101-foot video scoreboard and 1,100 monitors scattered throughout the stadium. But despite the opulence, the expense, and the attention to detail, those stadiums simply cannot produce Super Bowl- and World Series-winning teams. That job is up to the players and coaches.

In the same way, modern facilities, amazing programs, and award-winning worship teams don't make a church spiritually alive; that job is up to the members. By uniting in faith and being dedicated to each other, the community, and the world, church members create a healthy body of Christ in which ministry can thrive, hurting people can heal, and lost souls can find the love of God. 

Unity is necessary among the children of God if we are going to know the flow of power...to see God do His wonders.
A. W. Tozer

Read-Thru-the-Bible
1 Samuel 18:1-20:42