I HAD A DREAM
I dreamed of you last night
I can't explain how scenes unfold
It was a strange mysterious sight
Like chasing phantoms through the night.
Your shadow passed my misty view
I tried to follow close behind
But soon your presence left my gaze
Like howling winds on fire's blaze.
By chance I heard the enchanter's voice
Who told where love and beauty hide
I followed hard to find its lair
With longing heart to find you there.
But dreams are only waking thoughts
When sunlight meets the dawn
Subconscious scenes proclaim their worth
Like movie pictures giving birth.
Yet if I fall asleep tonight
With shadows passing near my bed
I'll take a closer look for you
And pray to have my dream come true.
--B. Pent
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
SIGNS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH ( I Thess.1:1-3)
The heart is a working marvel! It can keep on beating automatically even if all other nerves were severed. It beats 75 times a minute, 40 million times a year, 2 1/2 billion by age 70. That means that at each beat it discharges 4 oz. of blood, 3,000 gal. a day, 650,000 a year which is enough to fill more than 81 tank cars of 8,000 gal. each. A healthy heart = a healthy person.
The church of Thessalonica was a healthy church because it had a strong heart. It had a strong heart because it had a strong love for Christ. Their love became contagious because they modeled authentic Christianity. If God were to put His stethescope upon our churches today, how healthy do you think He would find us? Paul gives us 2 vital signs of a healthy church.
I. It Is A Church Of Praying People - (vs.1-2)
Having experience God's "grace and peace" as a church (v.1), Paul "thanks God" for all of them and continually "remembers them in prayer." True thanksgiving come from the overflow of a Spirit-filled life and a Spirit-filled life is the result of a prayer-filled life! Someone put it this way: "much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power." One of the reasons for a spiritually luke-warming Church is that the "prayer-room" and "prayer-closet" are too often left empty. We organize but do not agonize in prayer! Prayer clarifies our focus, enlarges our vision, depens our concern, and produces Kingdom results. Paul will later close his Epistle with God's command to :"Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances."
II. It Is A Church Of Caring People - (V.3)
People will not care how much we know until they know how much we care! The Church that prays is a Church that will develop caring people. Paul "continually remembered before the Lord" three characteristics reulting from this Spirit-filed Church:
1. They had a faith that worked - "your work produced by faith"
It was not a belief that was dead, barren or inaffective. It was a work that sprang from faith. Faith begins at spiritual birth (I Pet.2:2). The power of faith strengthens our walk (Col.2:6-7). The result of faith reproduces life (John 12:24; 15:16).
2. They had God's love to share - "your labor prompted by love"
"Labor" (kapos) means "painful exertion, toil, work beyond the call of duty." Love does not replace faith: it expresses it. It does not count the cost: it surpasses it. Love (agape) is not some sacrin, sentimental thing! God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and that took God's only Son. While reading I Corinthians 13 try to match your love to God's standard and see where you stand. I sure come short by comparrison.
3. They had a hope that endured - "your endurance inspired by hope"
Someone expressed it this way: "hope climbs up the latter of love; looks out the window of faith and moves forward in the light of tomorrow." The Thessalonian Church was a healthy Church because their lives were built on prayer, faith, love and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
These are things we need to rediscover and model personally and colectively as Kingdom saint.
The church of Thessalonica was a healthy church because it had a strong heart. It had a strong heart because it had a strong love for Christ. Their love became contagious because they modeled authentic Christianity. If God were to put His stethescope upon our churches today, how healthy do you think He would find us? Paul gives us 2 vital signs of a healthy church.
I. It Is A Church Of Praying People - (vs.1-2)
Having experience God's "grace and peace" as a church (v.1), Paul "thanks God" for all of them and continually "remembers them in prayer." True thanksgiving come from the overflow of a Spirit-filled life and a Spirit-filled life is the result of a prayer-filled life! Someone put it this way: "much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power." One of the reasons for a spiritually luke-warming Church is that the "prayer-room" and "prayer-closet" are too often left empty. We organize but do not agonize in prayer! Prayer clarifies our focus, enlarges our vision, depens our concern, and produces Kingdom results. Paul will later close his Epistle with God's command to :"Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances."
II. It Is A Church Of Caring People - (V.3)
People will not care how much we know until they know how much we care! The Church that prays is a Church that will develop caring people. Paul "continually remembered before the Lord" three characteristics reulting from this Spirit-filed Church:
1. They had a faith that worked - "your work produced by faith"
It was not a belief that was dead, barren or inaffective. It was a work that sprang from faith. Faith begins at spiritual birth (I Pet.2:2). The power of faith strengthens our walk (Col.2:6-7). The result of faith reproduces life (John 12:24; 15:16).
2. They had God's love to share - "your labor prompted by love"
"Labor" (kapos) means "painful exertion, toil, work beyond the call of duty." Love does not replace faith: it expresses it. It does not count the cost: it surpasses it. Love (agape) is not some sacrin, sentimental thing! God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and that took God's only Son. While reading I Corinthians 13 try to match your love to God's standard and see where you stand. I sure come short by comparrison.
3. They had a hope that endured - "your endurance inspired by hope"
Someone expressed it this way: "hope climbs up the latter of love; looks out the window of faith and moves forward in the light of tomorrow." The Thessalonian Church was a healthy Church because their lives were built on prayer, faith, love and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
These are things we need to rediscover and model personally and colectively as Kingdom saint.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Moments Of Reflection
Tender moments find their meaning
In the little things you do
They're not found in noisy flatter
That too often prove untrue.
Gentle breezes of reflection
Lets the memory find a nest
For the many loving moments
That bring calm within my breast.
Often when the heart feels lonely
Walking down life's thorny path
One can almost hear you whisper
"Through all times my love will last."
So let thoughts of joyous memory
When by distance we're apart
Live in mystery's understanding
That you're always in my heart.
--B. Pent
In the little things you do
They're not found in noisy flatter
That too often prove untrue.
Gentle breezes of reflection
Lets the memory find a nest
For the many loving moments
That bring calm within my breast.
Often when the heart feels lonely
Walking down life's thorny path
One can almost hear you whisper
"Through all times my love will last."
So let thoughts of joyous memory
When by distance we're apart
Live in mystery's understanding
That you're always in my heart.
--B. Pent
Sunday, October 17, 2010
The Book of Thessalonians
Luke tells us in Acts 16:9 that Paul went to Macedonia in response to a call: "come over to Macedonia and help us." He, along with Silas, Timothy and Luke, first arrived at Philippi. Not long after their arrival, they were arrested on false charges, flogged and imprisoned. After an earthquake, the jailer, his family and staff were converted and Paul and Silas were released.
Not long afterwards they headed southwest about 100 miles to Thessalonica. Luke tell us in Acts 17:1-9 that a great revival broke out following their conversion which spread like a wildfire. A powerful church was established with an unprecedented world outreach.
Therssalonica was the chief seaport of Greece. The main Roman road from Rome to the Orient to Istanbul (Turkey) passed through this port city. It was called the Egnatian Way. This put them in direct contact with many other important cities by land and by sea.
Of further interest is that this city of some 200,000 was an ethnic mixture of Greeks, Romans, Oriental and Jews. In 42 BC the city received the status of a "free city" from Anthony and Octavian because the people helped them defeat Brutus and Cassius. "Free City" simply meant that they did not have Roman troops in their city, they minted their own currency and had their own senate and public assembly to govern over them. Today, Thessalonica is an important Industrial and commercial city in modern Greece.
Paul wrote Thessalonians in about 51AD from Corinth which was either his first or second epistle (Galatians may have been written a year or so earlier). The imminent return of Christ is one of the central themes of I Thessalonians. During the next few weeks I want to share some insights found in each chapter that is applicable and needful for the revitalization of today's Church in the light of His imminent return.
Not long afterwards they headed southwest about 100 miles to Thessalonica. Luke tell us in Acts 17:1-9 that a great revival broke out following their conversion which spread like a wildfire. A powerful church was established with an unprecedented world outreach.
Therssalonica was the chief seaport of Greece. The main Roman road from Rome to the Orient to Istanbul (Turkey) passed through this port city. It was called the Egnatian Way. This put them in direct contact with many other important cities by land and by sea.
Of further interest is that this city of some 200,000 was an ethnic mixture of Greeks, Romans, Oriental and Jews. In 42 BC the city received the status of a "free city" from Anthony and Octavian because the people helped them defeat Brutus and Cassius. "Free City" simply meant that they did not have Roman troops in their city, they minted their own currency and had their own senate and public assembly to govern over them. Today, Thessalonica is an important Industrial and commercial city in modern Greece.
Paul wrote Thessalonians in about 51AD from Corinth which was either his first or second epistle (Galatians may have been written a year or so earlier). The imminent return of Christ is one of the central themes of I Thessalonians. During the next few weeks I want to share some insights found in each chapter that is applicable and needful for the revitalization of today's Church in the light of His imminent return.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
TIME AND DISTANCE
Time and distance met one lonely day
To see what could be done about the sun
For shadows seemed to cross life's path
Too hurriedly for distant love to last.
A court convened to find a way
To solve life's mystery's interlude
That robbed life's distance from its time
By leaving broken dreams so far behind.
Opinions and objections grew
From love and hate to name a few
The former felt the pain within the heart
The later wanted time to be apart.
What can be done was heard its cry?
Can distance form a link with time
So memories past can form a nest
Within the shelter of its breast?
The sun responded in bright hope
"Though time and distance cannot change
Within the boundaries of the human heart
Two souls that beat as one can never be apart."
--B. Pent
Time and distance met one lonely day
To see what could be done about the sun
For shadows seemed to cross life's path
Too hurriedly for distant love to last.
A court convened to find a way
To solve life's mystery's interlude
That robbed life's distance from its time
By leaving broken dreams so far behind.
Opinions and objections grew
From love and hate to name a few
The former felt the pain within the heart
The later wanted time to be apart.
What can be done was heard its cry?
Can distance form a link with time
So memories past can form a nest
Within the shelter of its breast?
The sun responded in bright hope
"Though time and distance cannot change
Within the boundaries of the human heart
Two souls that beat as one can never be apart."
--B. Pent
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