Bob Gass has written a devotional that I have been going through that is having me soul search a great deal. I have shared bits of it with the my Neighborhood Shepherd Group and the Church. However, I feel I am just scratching the surface. Chapter One got my attention, but Chapter Two hit me with a two by four and knocked me down. I just had to reflect, repose and pray on it an awful lot. I share that chapter with you today from my Logos Library. It is from Bob’s book ” Forgetting Your Past:Turn Your Pain Into Purpose. ” You might want to make it a part of your library as well.
Dealing with the Past Every experience you’ve had from the moment you were born until now (and even while you were in your mother’s womb) has made you what you are today. The things that happened to you, especially during your earliest years, determine how you’ll act (and react) for the rest of your life. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “A good man gives out good from the goodness stored in his heart; and a bad man gives out evil from his store of evil.” (Matthew 12:35 Phillips) There are things stored up in each of us that must be dealt with before we can move ahead successfully. Psychologists estimate that we spend up to 50 percent of our mental and emotional energy repressing painful memories. My brother Neil, who spent many years in private practice as a Family Systems Therapist, tells me that the counseling community has recently done a one hundred and eighty-degree turn. Instead of saying, “Dig deep and go back as far as you can,” they’re now saying, “If the patient needs to vent, let him. But make it brief; then get him focused on the future as quickly as possible.” That’s what some would call, “a sudden revelation of the obvious.” Two thousand years ago the apostle Paul wrote, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching unto those things which are before …” Philippians 3:13). Paul understood that forgetting and reaching are the keys to inner healing. One will not work without the other. Forgetting closes the door on the past; reaching opens the door to the future. You say, “What did Paul have to forget?” Plenty! On his orders, Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death. Paul watched the whole gruesome scene. Could you forget that? Listen to his testimony: “… I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it” (Galatians 1:13 KJV). “Wasted”—that’s a Mafia term. While Christians slept, Saul of Tarsus and his zealots would break down their door, and, oblivious to the cries of children, take some parents to prison and others to the chopping block. But now he goes back to those same towns to preach and when he stands in the pulpit, guess who’s sitting in the pews? The widows! The orphans! If Paul had not learned how to deal with his own past, he never would have written one of the thirteen best sellers we now call “epistles” or founded a church that would last for two thousand years. This, then, is the man who writes, “This one thing I do, forgetting …” (Philippians 3:13). This book is written especially for three people; you could be one of them.
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44 Jesus shouted, “Whoever believes in me doesn’t believe in me but in the one who sent me. 45 Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in me won’t live in darkness. 47 If people hear my words and don’t keep them, I don’t judge them. I didn’t come to judge the world but to save it. 48 Whoever rejects me and doesn’t receive my words will be judged at the last day by the word I have spoken. 49 I don’t speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me regarding what I should speak and say. 50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. Therefore, whatever I say is just as the Father has said to me.”
John 12:44-50 NRSV A final appeal to belief: Jesus makes a last, passionate appeal to the multitude (44–50) a. Then Jesus cried out and said: These are the last words in John’s gospel from Jesus to the public. In this last speech to the multitude, Jesus emphasized the themes of all His previous preaching in John. b. He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me: Jesus stressed His unity with God the Father. c. I have come as light into the world: Jesus stressed His own truthfulness, and the need man has to follow Jesus. d. I do not judge Him: Jesus stressed His love and acceptance for the sinner; yet the word that I have spoken will judge Him—there are inescapable consequences for rejecting Jesus. e. I have not spoken on My own authority: Jesus stressed His own submission to God the Father. His authority flowed from His submission to God the Father. ( John DGCB by David Guzik ) Some personal notes: Jesus seems to emphasize some important points we need to consider in this reading. Here are five I share with you.
We have a new and fresh message on the CGMF Prayerline. Hope you will take the time today and be encouraged by the Word. This ministry is a ministry we pray you will take advantage of each and every day. God bless you all.
To listen in call the CGMF Prayerline at 712-432-8399 and use the Conference number 584684. Then hold to be placed in conference and the message will play. Mark 3:7-12 was the passage in my devotional reading today.
7 Jesus left with his disciples and went to the lake. A large crowd followed him because they had heard what he was doing. They were from Galilee, 8 Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the area surrounding Tyre and Sidon. 9 Jesus told his disciples to get a small boat ready for him so the crowd wouldn’t crush him. 10 He had healed so many people that everyone who was sick pushed forward so that they could touch him. 11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down at his feet and shouted, “You are God’s Son!” 12 But he strictly ordered them not to reveal who he was. Jesus had healed so many people they were pushing forward just to just touch him. Evil spirits fell down at His feet. His authority and compassion for the people was outstanding. He wanted them whole and blest. In those days there were not a lot of cures, and diseases in most cases were beyond a doctor's expertise. Jesus appearance and ministry promoting Good News and the the healing ministry He revealed. Showed the extraordinary day that had come, and that hope had come in the most pure form of God's Love to all of humanity. Hope had a name, and it was Jesus. He is still Hope for you and me today as well. We had quite the Omaha Gathering this past week! What can we say, it is not often you invite a speaker to come and they yield to the Founding Pastor to preach. However, that is exactly what happened. Reverend Vossen wasn't planning to be present, but felt let to be at our meeting, and after the visiting guest preacher read their passage. They said they felt led that Reverend Vossen had the Word for the congregation. They were right on, and Pastor Vossen ministered in an extraordinary way.
New Year's CGMF Message From Rev. Vossen " Fresh Beginnings Needs True Love That Never Fails. "1/1/2018 Our Founding Pastor's New Year's message today has been shared with us today. It has a powerful message we all need to hear, and simply tells us how love " Works ". Take the Word and let it become a part of you.
To listen in call the CGMF Prayerline at 712-432-8399 and use the Conference number 584684. Then hold to be placed in conference and the message will play. Let God's Word be planted deep in your heart. Amen. Happy New Year To All. December 20th, 2017
We have began studying our series on the Book of Exodus in our Thru The Bible Classes. In two weeks though our Authentic Man, Authentic Women and Covenant Worldview classes along with some others will be rotating. New subject matter will be considered in those Neighborhood Shepherd Groups. Please double check with your leaders, as to the newer curriculum and discussion topics. We wish all of you a happy and safe Christmas in your sojourn. Some of you will be staying in the area, and others travelling. Please take care of yourselves and enjoy the festivities. We enjoyed our monthly Gathering meetings last week, and truly are excited about what God is doing. Celebration and praise is definitely on the hearts of so many. However, there are those who are going through heartaches and hurts in our fellowship as well. Please let God use you to touch those whom God would have you to minister to in a special way. We should have our founding Pastor back with us next month to minister in our Monthly Gathering services in Eastern Nebraska. His schedule didn't allow him to be with us unfortunately for the Gathering. His wisdom and direction we truly appreciate so very much this time of year. In His Mercy, Skip McNeil, Shepherd Leader and Coordinator PS. We once a year have a special Pastor's appreciation dinner and financial blessing we share with him. This will take place the third week of January. Please forward any financial gifts during any designated offering times in your groups. Or, forward your gifts to the office at 2217 Deer Park Blvd., Omaha, Nebraska 68108. Make your checks out to CGMF and put in the memo that it is designated for thePastoral Appreciation Dinner. You may also just click one of the donate links on the cgmfinc.com website and give through PayPal as well. Let us let Pastor Vossen know how much we love him. I have been looking at the Life of Abraham of late, as we prepare to study on the Book of Exodus in the Thru The Bible Series classes with CGMF. A particular book by M. R. DeHaan has caught my attention, as I do some background study for the quarter. I wanted to share it with you. I hope it blesses all of you.
Three Odd Requests Near the end of chapter 24 of Genesis we find Eliezer in the house of Rebekah. She has decided to go with the servant upon the testimony that he has given. Notice that her decision was a personal one. No one else could make it for her. We read: And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go (vss. 57, 58). This was the simple decision which Rebekah made, fully convinced in her own mind that she was doing the thing which was right. Permit me to remind you what it was that Rebekah was asked to do. There are just three things which stand out in the narrative: 1. She was asked to go with a person she never knew before. 2. She was asked to marry a man whom she had never met. 3. She was asked to leave her home and go to a country she had never seen before, and from which she might never return. Despite these three conditions, she said, “I will go,” and that settled it. It was faith, simple, absolute, trusting faith in the word of Eliezer which was supported by the treasures of Isaac which Eliezer had brought along. So, too, the only way that sinners can be saved today is by that same simple faith in the Spirit’s Word, and in the treasures of God’s wonderful Book. God asks us to believe the Holy Spirit and His testimony and the Word of God, though we have never known Him before; to put our trust in the Saviour whom we have never seen and never met; and to trust our destiny to this Guide who will take us to a heaven where we have never been. Salvation is by simple faith, and faith alone. How wonderfully Peter expresses it in 1 Peter 1:8: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Dr. Vossen has preached a message he has recorded on the Prayerline we all need to listen to today. I have asked him to please leave it on the Prayerline for a couple of days and not record another. Why? Because we all need to hear it. I pray you will listen in to it, call the Prayerline please. Let the message touch you today.
To listen in call the CGMF Prayerline at 712-432-8399 and use the Conference number 584684. Then hold to be placed in conference and the message will play. Shepherd Leader, Skip McNeil Col 3:16
The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to all the CGMF Family & Friends of the Ministry. You are all such a vital part of what God has been doing in 2017, and we appreciate your faithfulness so very much. I am so grateful for your devotion to Christ and His cause. I pray your holiday season will be filled with God's hand of Grace anointing you in a mighty way. I hope as we finish out the year, that we will " Finish Strong ". Giving of ourselves toward His cause and continuing to touch the lives of all we come in contact to. With that in mind, I want you to know we are also praying God's wisdom for 2018 and asking for His vision going forward for CGMF. Let us never grow weary of well doing, and press toward the mark that Christ has set for us each day. In His Love and Mercy, Reverend Patrick Vossen Founding Pastor |
Reverend Patrick Vossen,
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