Pastor Rich's blog listings. Feed Zend_Feed_Writer 1.10.8 (http://framework.zend.com) http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich Blessings by the bushel How many blessings are you going to receive from the Word of God? It depends on how many you expect to receive. When God measures them out to you, He'll be using your measuring stick, not His own. He always works that way. Two people can hear God's Word about healing, for example. One will measure it with faith. "Praise God, by His stripes I was healed!" he'll say. "I believe that with all my heart, and I'm going to keep on believeing it until I receive my healing." The other will measure it with skepticism. "I don't care what Bible verses he cames up with," he'll say. "I just don't trust that Pastor. I'll give this healing stuff a try, but I doubt very much if anything's going to come out of it." Both of those people will get exactly what they expect. God will measure to them just  as they measured the Word of God. One will be healed...the other won't. If you want to receive blessings by the bushel load, start going to the Word of God with a bushel basket. Put a BIG measure of faith in the hand of God. He'll fill it to overflowing and give it back to you!

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]]> Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:34:16 -0500 http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/13/blessings_by_the_bushel http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/13/blessings_by_the_bushel How many blessings are you going to receive from the Word of God? It depends on how many you expect to receive. When God measures them out to you, He'll be using your measuring stick, not His own. He always works that way. Two people can hear God's Word about healing, for example. One will measure it with faith. "Praise God, by His stripes I was healed!" he'll say. "I believe that with all my heart, and I'm going to keep on believeing it until I receive my healing." The other will measure it with skepticism. "I don't care what Bible verses he cames up with," he'll say. "I just don't trust that Pastor. I'll give this healing stuff a try, but I doubt very much if anything's going to come out of it." Both of those people will get exactly what they expect. God will measure to them just  as they measured the Word of God. One will be healed...the other won't. If you want to receive blessings by the bushel load, start going to the Word of God with a bushel basket. Put a BIG measure of faith in the hand of God. He'll fill it to overflowing and give it back to you!

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]]> 0 The portrait of a Christian ( You have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Cteator Colossians 3:10). James Carroll Beckwith,born i Hannibal Missouri, did with his brush what Mark Twain, his contemporary and fellow townsman, did with his pen: sketch human nature. Beckwith was a well-known portait painter. Portrait painting is not in great demand today. Most people who want pictures of themselves or loved onesmsimply have a photo taken. Quick,easy, and a lot cheaper. A new age always requires new skills. The expertise of a century ago, be it glassblowing, carriage-making, or portrait-painting, gives way to the new. In fact, things change so rapidly and basically in our computer age that a person may have to train for several crafts in a lifetime.While portrait painting is to some extent not what it once was, one thing is sure: the moral and spiritual portrait of human beings is basically the same that is ever was. The writers of the Bible, inspired and moved by the Holy Spirit, give us true portraits of people in all ages. They show the warts, wrinkles, and imperfections of sin. Sin cannot be ignored, painted over, or removed by face-lifts. It it deeply ingrained in human nature. That is why so may of our ideal plans fail and( utopias) an imaginary island described in Sir Thomas More's utopia. Remain what the Greek word says they are: "No such places." Sin prevents the fulfillment of perfect schemes in education, in an economic system, even in a Church b ody. In the Word of God, however, we see another portait--that of the sinless Christ. He Redeemed us from slavery of sin by His perfect life, Atoning death, and Glorious Resurrection. Through the Holy Spirit He renews us in His image, and what a beautiful portrait that is--the portrait of a born-anew person whi is Christlike in words and deeds! Beckwith, the portrait painter, is no langer sketching--he died in 1917--but those who paint and those who sit for Christian "portraits" are still active and very much alive, thanks to the Heavenly artist, the Holy Spirit! Pray that the Holy Spirit may renew Christ's likeness in you through the Gospel.

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]]> Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:18:32 -0500 http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/10/the_portrait_of_a_christian http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/10/the_portrait_of_a_christian ( You have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Cteator Colossians 3:10). James Carroll Beckwith,born i Hannibal Missouri, did with his brush what Mark Twain, his contemporary and fellow townsman, did with his pen: sketch human nature. Beckwith was a well-known portait painter. Portrait painting is not in great demand today. Most people who want pictures of themselves or loved onesmsimply have a photo taken. Quick,easy, and a lot cheaper. A new age always requires new skills. The expertise of a century ago, be it glassblowing, carriage-making, or portrait-painting, gives way to the new. In fact, things change so rapidly and basically in our computer age that a person may have to train for several crafts in a lifetime.While portrait painting is to some extent not what it once was, one thing is sure: the moral and spiritual portrait of human beings is basically the same that is ever was. The writers of the Bible, inspired and moved by the Holy Spirit, give us true portraits of people in all ages. They show the warts, wrinkles, and imperfections of sin. Sin cannot be ignored, painted over, or removed by face-lifts. It it deeply ingrained in human nature. That is why so may of our ideal plans fail and( utopias) an imaginary island described in Sir Thomas More's utopia. Remain what the Greek word says they are: "No such places." Sin prevents the fulfillment of perfect schemes in education, in an economic system, even in a Church b ody. In the Word of God, however, we see another portait--that of the sinless Christ. He Redeemed us from slavery of sin by His perfect life, Atoning death, and Glorious Resurrection. Through the Holy Spirit He renews us in His image, and what a beautiful portrait that is--the portrait of a born-anew person whi is Christlike in words and deeds! Beckwith, the portrait painter, is no langer sketching--he died in 1917--but those who paint and those who sit for Christian "portraits" are still active and very much alive, thanks to the Heavenly artist, the Holy Spirit! Pray that the Holy Spirit may renew Christ's likeness in you through the Gospel.

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]]> 0 It all starts with right thinking ( Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me Psalm 51:10). "No parking" signs are so common that in order to emphasize the necessity of keeping an area clear, some have devised a new sign: "Don't even think about parking here!" Proverbs 23:7 ( NKJV) declares, "As ( a person) thinks in his heart, so is he"; and we might add,"so does he." Many a time a motorist makes a wrong turn because he mistankenly thinks his destination lies in that direction. It has been said that a golfer who swings wrongly is thinking wrongly. Wrong thoughts and desires beget wrong deeds--how true in people's spiritual lives! Jesus begins a statement by saying, "Out of the heart come evil thoughts" (Matt. 15;19), and He then enumerates the evil actions that follow. In his epistle to the Romans, St. Paul declares that "although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened" ( 1:21).  Then follows a list of perverse deeds. The growth of sin from heart to hands, from wrong desires and emotions to wrong deeds is traced by St. James ( 1:14-15): "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire is concieved, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." There is ,of course, a right side to this coin. It says that right thoughts lead to right words and works. Right thoughts are not an accident. They are products of the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts and minds. He has given us faith in Christ as the Redeemer from sin, and has given us new life in Him. The new heart is like a pure fountain, the very opposite of a foul fountain. For out of it flow good thoughts, thoughts of love to God and our fellow human beings, and these translate into good words and good works. Pray that the Holt Spirit may through the Gospel create a clean heart in you and renew a right spirit within you.

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]]> Sun, 09 Jun 2013 08:11:10 -0500 http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/09/it_all_starts_with_right_thinking http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/09/it_all_starts_with_right_thinking ( Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me Psalm 51:10). "No parking" signs are so common that in order to emphasize the necessity of keeping an area clear, some have devised a new sign: "Don't even think about parking here!" Proverbs 23:7 ( NKJV) declares, "As ( a person) thinks in his heart, so is he"; and we might add,"so does he." Many a time a motorist makes a wrong turn because he mistankenly thinks his destination lies in that direction. It has been said that a golfer who swings wrongly is thinking wrongly. Wrong thoughts and desires beget wrong deeds--how true in people's spiritual lives! Jesus begins a statement by saying, "Out of the heart come evil thoughts" (Matt. 15;19), and He then enumerates the evil actions that follow. In his epistle to the Romans, St. Paul declares that "although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened" ( 1:21).  Then follows a list of perverse deeds. The growth of sin from heart to hands, from wrong desires and emotions to wrong deeds is traced by St. James ( 1:14-15): "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire is concieved, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." There is ,of course, a right side to this coin. It says that right thoughts lead to right words and works. Right thoughts are not an accident. They are products of the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts and minds. He has given us faith in Christ as the Redeemer from sin, and has given us new life in Him. The new heart is like a pure fountain, the very opposite of a foul fountain. For out of it flow good thoughts, thoughts of love to God and our fellow human beings, and these translate into good words and good works. Pray that the Holt Spirit may through the Gospel create a clean heart in you and renew a right spirit within you.

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]]> 0 Put the rumor to rest ( Exodus 10:22-23 says, "And Moses stretched forth his hand toward Heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt..but all the children of Isreal had light in their dwellings.") Many many years ago satan started a rumor. He told some Christians they had to live like the world, share all the same misfortune, defeats, poverty and failure as those around them. Well, unfortunately it spread. You may have heard the rumor yourself. But I am telling right now, that it is a crafty lie. The Word of God says in Psalm 91:10 that evil can't even come near your house if you abide in Him. In John 16, Jesus Himself says He has deprived the world of power to harm you. by these and other Scriptures, you can see that God never intended you to experience all the junk that the world suffers. He's always wanted His children to live above it, to stand out as light in a dark world. In the old testament, God's fame was established because of the miracles He worked for His children. That same thing should be true today with you and me. W e should be GLORIFYING God by miraculously victorious lives we live.People should be coming up to us saying things like,"I've heard how God healed you." Or, "I've heard how God delievered your children from drugs," or, "God has really brought you out of a financial crisis." Can you see now why satan would spread a rumor that would make you believe you have to suffer with the world instead of living a life of VICTORY over it? Satan doesn't want people running to us asking where do we get our power, where does your peace come from, how did you get rid of the cancer? But that's what God wants to happen. So, put the Word of God to work and dare to recieve the blessings He has promised to you. Let the light of God's power in your life put the devil's dark rumor to rest!

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]]> Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:40:52 -0500 http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/07/put_the_rumor_to_rest http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/07/put_the_rumor_to_rest ( Exodus 10:22-23 says, "And Moses stretched forth his hand toward Heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt..but all the children of Isreal had light in their dwellings.") Many many years ago satan started a rumor. He told some Christians they had to live like the world, share all the same misfortune, defeats, poverty and failure as those around them. Well, unfortunately it spread. You may have heard the rumor yourself. But I am telling right now, that it is a crafty lie. The Word of God says in Psalm 91:10 that evil can't even come near your house if you abide in Him. In John 16, Jesus Himself says He has deprived the world of power to harm you. by these and other Scriptures, you can see that God never intended you to experience all the junk that the world suffers. He's always wanted His children to live above it, to stand out as light in a dark world. In the old testament, God's fame was established because of the miracles He worked for His children. That same thing should be true today with you and me. W e should be GLORIFYING God by miraculously victorious lives we live.People should be coming up to us saying things like,"I've heard how God healed you." Or, "I've heard how God delievered your children from drugs," or, "God has really brought you out of a financial crisis." Can you see now why satan would spread a rumor that would make you believe you have to suffer with the world instead of living a life of VICTORY over it? Satan doesn't want people running to us asking where do we get our power, where does your peace come from, how did you get rid of the cancer? But that's what God wants to happen. So, put the Word of God to work and dare to recieve the blessings He has promised to you. Let the light of God's power in your life put the devil's dark rumor to rest!

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]]> 0 Are you getting the right food? Do you need to be on a spiritual diet? ( Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55:2). A Canadian propeller-driven plane crashed near St. Louis airport because an attendant had filled it with the wrong fuel--jet fuel instead of high-octane gasoline. Human beings are not machines, but they ,too, can suffer from the wrong food and fuel. This is especially true of the improper soul foods. Isaiah (55:2) asks, "Why do you spend money on what is not bread?" People today spend money on worthless religions, on religious cults, on remedies that cannot heal a sick soul. Neither can anyone nourish his inner spiritual life with foods or materials meant for the body. Hamburgers cannot quiet or quench spiritual hunger. As Psalm 42:1 declares, "As the deer pants for the streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God," The thirst for God cannot be satisfied with physical drink-strong( whisky) or weak, or other. St. Peter writes, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" ( 1Peter 2:2). This is the milk of God's Word, and the Greek text indicates that it is the logical, suitible, and proper milk for our souls. It wouldn't do to feed little babies with steaks and potatoes, but milk is right. Likewise, the ABCs of God's Word are the right food for children attending Sunday school and for beginners. The proper diet for spiritual adults calls for a heavier, more nourishing foods. Christians should not want to stay babies forever. They should mature, and for this, says another writer of the Bible, they need solid food( Heb. 5:11-6:1). This obtained through morein-depth reading, through attending adult Bible classes. For young and old,for recent recruits and for veterans in the faith, Jesus Christ is the bread of life. He it is who laid down His life so that we might live. When we believe in Him as our Savior, we are well nourished.

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]]> Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:31:44 -0500 http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/04/are_you_getting_the_right_food_do_you_need_to_be_on_a_spiritual_diet http://community.beliefnet.com/pastor_rich/blog/2013/06/04/are_you_getting_the_right_food_do_you_need_to_be_on_a_spiritual_diet ( Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55:2). A Canadian propeller-driven plane crashed near St. Louis airport because an attendant had filled it with the wrong fuel--jet fuel instead of high-octane gasoline. Human beings are not machines, but they ,too, can suffer from the wrong food and fuel. This is especially true of the improper soul foods. Isaiah (55:2) asks, "Why do you spend money on what is not bread?" People today spend money on worthless religions, on religious cults, on remedies that cannot heal a sick soul. Neither can anyone nourish his inner spiritual life with foods or materials meant for the body. Hamburgers cannot quiet or quench spiritual hunger. As Psalm 42:1 declares, "As the deer pants for the streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God," The thirst for God cannot be satisfied with physical drink-strong( whisky) or weak, or other. St. Peter writes, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" ( 1Peter 2:2). This is the milk of God's Word, and the Greek text indicates that it is the logical, suitible, and proper milk for our souls. It wouldn't do to feed little babies with steaks and potatoes, but milk is right. Likewise, the ABCs of God's Word are the right food for children attending Sunday school and for beginners. The proper diet for spiritual adults calls for a heavier, more nourishing foods. Christians should not want to stay babies forever. They should mature, and for this, says another writer of the Bible, they need solid food( Heb. 5:11-6:1). This obtained through morein-depth reading, through attending adult Bible classes. For young and old,for recent recruits and for veterans in the faith, Jesus Christ is the bread of life. He it is who laid down His life so that we might live. When we believe in Him as our Savior, we are well nourished.

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