Category: Scripture

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Holidays Ministry Scripture Travel

Sunday Scripture

WELCOME to the “Winter Season Premiere” of my blog. Today – December 01ST 2019 – is the 12TH anniversary of this blog here on WordPress. It officially began on this date in 2007, but it was actually a continuation of my blog that started on Myspace a little more than 6 months earlier.

I’ve been on hiatus since my last post was published almost 2 weeks ago, but now I’m back. I got to spend quality time with immediate family over in North Texas, and we celebrated our annual tradition known as #ThanksChristmasGiving – 8 fun-filled days and nights of Thanksgiving and Christmas combined leading-up to the traditional Thanksgiving Day Dinner.

Over the next 3½ weeks I’ll celebrate Christmas here in South Florida with church family and work family. I’ll also be here online resuming blog posts every Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday – starting today – with a special end-of-year post on New Year’s Eve.

Today I preached my sermon on the prophet Habakkuk to my church family.

Here’s how I started today’s sermon – before preaching on Habakkuk:

Well Good Morning (again) Church Family !  It is so great to be here – in the house of the Lord. You know this is a nice sanctuary that we have here – with this nice pulpit – on this nice big stage – and we have nice new chairs on our nice new carpet. We have an A.C. that works great. We have a roof that doesn’t leak.

This is the Lord’s house – but only because – we are here right now, and the Lord is with us. You know our bodies are the Lord’s house. That means that everywhere we go – is the Lord’s house. God’s presence – is there – right where we are. God lives within us – in our hearts. The Bible says that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit – who lives in you – and was given to you by God. You do not belong to yourself. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I like Psalm 27 & 4:

The one thing I ask of the LORD – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life – delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in His Temple.

That’s why we praise and worship Him. That’s why we have faith in Him.

Here’s how I closed today’s sermon:

As today’s prophets – with the temple of the Holy Spirit living within us – we must continue to go forth – together – as a church body – towards His bright light. We must remember what He has done for us in the past. We must accept what He is doing for us right now. We must trust what He will do for us in the future. We must believe in Him, for He is the only way. And we must invite our loved ones to join us for this journey. We want our loved ones to know the God that we know. That’s how we bring the church in everything we do – and in everywhere we go.

(And that Conclusion was actually a hidden “sneak-preview” of my next sermon to preach.)

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Bible Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Last night I finished writing what will be my next sermon to preach to my church family – “Habakkuk & Forth”. It’s all about the minor prophet Habakkuk from the land of Judah some 600 years before Christ. He’s a minor prophet not because he was irrelevant (quite the opposite), but simply because there’s only 3 chapters in his book in the Old Testament. (Compare that with 66 chapters for Isaiah, 52 chapters for Jeremiah, and 48 chapters for Ezekiel – the 3 major prophets.)

I wrote this sermon in just a couple of weeks, and I think that it flows well from beginning to end. I’ll be enhancing and tweaking it over the next couple of weeks. Following the conclusion of today’s service our Lead Pastor told me that I’ll be preaching 2 weeks from today on Sunday December 01ST 2019. So I’ll be preaching on Habakkuk.

I actually finished another sermon previously, but I’m not fully satisfied with it. It will (eventually) be a groundbreaking sermon for me unlike anything I’ve ever done before – and unlike anything my church family has ever seen before. For a message that different it needs a bit more work.

So back to Habakkuk where Chapter 3 is a prayer that was sung to the LORD by Habakkuk. After his conversation with the LORD (Chapters 1 and 2) Habakkuk praised and worshipped Him. Here are some of the highlights of his psalm to the LORD:

  • I am filled with awe by Your amazing works. (3:2)
  • His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with His praise. (3:3)
  • His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. (3:4a)
  • Rays of light flash from His hands – where His awesome power is hidden. (3:4b)
  • When He stops – the earth shakes. When He looks – the nations tremble. (3:6a-b)
  • He shatters the everlasting mountains, and levels the eternal hills. (3:6c)
  • He is the Eternal One ! (3:6d)
  • You split open the earth with flowing rivers. (3:9)
  • The mountains watched and trembled. Onward swept the raging waters. (3:10)
  • You went out to rescue Your chosen people – to save Your anointed ones. (3:13)

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Bible Christian Church God Humor Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

This weekend it’s something a little bit different. I’m a big fan and regular reader of “The Babylon Bee” – a satirical web site mostly on Christianity and Politics. It’s been around for almost 4 years. They are also on Facebook and Twitter.

A couple of nights ago they reran a classic post from 2 years ago. I loved it the first time. I loved it the next time. I loved it again. Check it out:

https://babylonbee.com/news/pastors-pulpit-says-theology

Recently as part of a major remodeling project of our church sanctuary (new stage, new lighting, new carpet, new chairs, new paint) I was asked to select a brand new pulpit for my use. (Our Lead Pastor doesn’t use the pulpit. He preaches on both sides of it, and in front of it, but never at it.)

I picked-out a really nice plexiglass pulpit, and it was purchased, and I use it every week. I love it. (You can see my reflection in it taking a picture of it.)

IMG_3719

Well apparently The Babylon Bee says that (because of my pulpit) I’m transparent (yes), and I’m vulnerable (yes). Oh yeah – and my theology is lightweight. (OK – I’ll take that one too.)

I essentially preach what I know. I don’t try to preach above my knowledge and skills level. I don’t try to preach like anyone else. I just preach on my 13 years of salvation, and I compare it with my 39 years of life before Christ. I preach a lot on repentance and salvation. I preach on the God that I’ve known since 2006. So yeah you can see right through my sermons. I testify and preach. (That was actually the title of an early sermon of mine from 2017 – “Testify & Preach”.)

All of my sermon titles are two words separated by an ampersand. I’m currently working on two sermons for the next couple of months – “Ways & Memes”, and “Habakkuk & Forth”.

As for the NLT – um – well – guilty as charged !  #BushLeague

Preach the Word of God. Be prepared – whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2 NLT)

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
2000s Bible Christian God Ministry Music Radio Scripture

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2004

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 10, 15, 20, or 30 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 15 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday November 07TH 2004:

  1. “Lose My Breath” – Destiny’s Child
  2. “Over And Over (Again)” – Nelly Ft. Tim McGraw
  3. “Dare You To Move” – Switchfoot
  4. “I Don’t Want To Be” – Gavin DeGraw
  5. “Breakaway” – Kelly Clarkson

15 years ago this weekend Switchfoot were trying to tell me all about God, but I wasn’t really listening to the lyrics. I was rockin’ out to the melody. That was 21½ months before salvation began for me. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ dared me to move. He dared me to lift myself up off the floor – out of the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire – and reach for Him. I did. It was a new day – a day that never happened before. A day that I never imagined before. Salvation began on that day. That was the start of my fantastic journey, and it’s in the lyrics:

♫ Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself ?
Where you gonna go ?
Where you gonna go ?
Salvation is here !

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself
To lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before ♫

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with 3 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Enjoy this long holiday weekend here in the U.S.A. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries