Haiti

Check out the link below. Pastor Marc Driscoll went to Haiti a week after the big earthquake that rocked that part of the country. He shares details of his trip as well as pictures and video.



http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/special/32-hours-the-church-in-haiti

Sinners Not Saints

Have you ever been to religious? Ever felt like you were above someone else, or that God is more proud of you than He is others that live in sin? Ever thought you were God's friend just because you go to Sunday School, Church, Discipleship Training, church again, visitation on Tuesdays and church again on Wednesday night? Maybe God thinks your awesome because you attend all of these meetings. I have to admit there was a time in my life that I thought God was proud of me for going to churh, but the whole time thinking this, I was a sinner that hadn't yet been saved by grace. These things came to my mind today when I was reading in the book of Matthew. Chapter 9 verse 9 through 13 is the calling of Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector. Jesus went by the tax office and said to him, Follow Me, and Matthew got up and followed Him. It goes on to say that Jesus was reclining at the table when many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat with Jesus. The Pharisees, who were very religious, saw all of the tax collectors and sinners come in so they asked Jesus' disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus heard them asking this question and told them that well people do not need a doctor, sick people do. He says too that He didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners. Talk about a wake up call!! Jesus came to die for sinners. Although they don't see it themselves the Pharisees thought they were religious and didn't need Jesus, they thought they were better than these sinners. Jesus tells them this is who He wants, He died so all the sins of the sinners could be forgiven and covered by His blood. Jesus also died for the Pharisees because they were sinners and though they didn't recognize it, they needed a Savior as well. I pray that your not a Pharisee and you realize you are a sinner and let the blood of Jesus cover your sins.

Why are the wicked prospering?

Have you ever wondered why a lot of wicked people, or people that could care less about Jesus seem to have everything they want and then some? I have often wondered why people that are living for the world and not Jesus tend to have all these things. They have the big houses, fancy cars, they can eat out every night, have plenty of money and don't have to worry about anything. Then on the other hand you have people that follow Jesus daily that tend to struggle in life. I realize there are Christians that have nice things and plenty of money, so this message would not be for you. But from my perspective I see the wicked enjoying life with all the things they want. Things that tend to make them happy, while I'm following Jesus and I live paycheck to paycheck. It doesn't add up in my human mind. Well, as He always does, God points me in the right direction when I started thinking about this. I was reading Psalm 92 today, and in verse 7 it says this. "Though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be eternally destroyed." After reading this I realized that our treasures are in heaven. Matthew 6:19-21 says this "Don't collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also." Let me tackle Psalm 92:7 first. God says that the wicked will be eternally destroyed. This means that when these people die without Jesus they will go to hell where they are eternally destroyed. So while they are enjoying these things and putting their hearts into their possessions instead of Jesus they will lose all they have never to see it anymore. So back to being a Christian and Matthew 6. We should put our hearts into Jesus, follow Him daily and gain treasures in heaven instead of on earth. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having nice things and being able to enjoy them, just don't put those things before God because it is by His grace you have them to begin with. So do we really need anything on earth? Not really, God will meet our basic needs, beyond that everything else is an extra gift from Him. Besides when I die, I know God has a mansion waiting for me in heaven. There are no mansions in hell, so I will follow Jesus while I'm on earth and praise Him for what I have and what I will have in the future, but I know my treasure awaits in heaven.

The Raging Sea

Psalm Chapter 87 verse 9 says "You rule the raging sea; when its waves surge You still them." After you read this verse sit back and reflect on what you just read. Take a look at the picture to the left. That is an image of a somewhat raging sea. We serve a God that can calm the seas. He also told the water where to stop, He placed the sun in a certain place as well as the moon, but to think that when a sea is raging violently God can calm it in an instant. This is the same God that sent His son Jesus to die for us. So as I sit here thinking about the power God has to calm the raging sea, I wonder why so many times we think God can't control our lives. A lot of times we try to control our own lives. We want to do what we want to do and that is it, we don't want help from anyone else and a lot of times we don't think we need help from anyone else. If we would all fully surrender to Gods power and let Him control every aspect of our lives, then I have to think that just like a raging sea that He can calm, He would also calm our lives. This doesn't mean everything will be perfect with us but we will have a peace when we face storms in our lives because we will be focused on Jesus. Jesus is not an author of confusion or chaos but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). He wants peace in our lives, but for that to happen we have to surrender to Him and let Him control our lives. Just like that raging sea that was stilled, our lives can be the same way. Lets let Him use His power in our lives so we can live lives of praise and worship filled hearts.