Happy New Year - Wear Your Pajamas

I hope you hall had a great Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year. I believe God has some great things for NorthPoint and the NorthPoint family in the Year to come. Since I know you will all be up late on New Years eve, we want to make it as comfortable for you to start off your new year right, by joining us for church. So New Years day is Officially PJ Sunday.

See You in your Slippers,

Pastor Chris and Pastor Paul

Christmas

I really do enjoy the Christmas Season, I am the kind of guy that wants to play Mannheim Steamroller after thanksgiving dinner. I enjoy the time with family, the focus on Christ and the rest for our souls. It is so easy for everything to get crazy during this time of year. Some of that craziness is unavoidable, but as much as I can I try to avoid it. Use this time of year to reconnect with your friends and your family. Do something out of the ordinary this season, maybe call someone you have not spoken with in a while, or give a gift to someone you never would have given to in the past. 

Christmas is a time for us to remember how much God has given us in his Son, if all we ever had was Jesus Christ, it would be enough, yet he has blessed us so far beyond that. How can you bless someone in that way, how can you introduce them to Jesus.

Take advantage of the moments that this season will bring...

Pastor Chris
Live Simply, Work Diligently, Give Generously

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Going deeper with God!

"A believer who has been persecuted and becomes bitter... a believer who has known disappointment because of the conduct of another believer (or someone in the world) and is resentful... and most of all, that Christian who has been disappointed in God because of what He has done, and is unhappy with God and with the state he is in at the hands of so unfair a God... surely a Christian who experiences these emotions is not in a state where his will is in concert with God; he is, rather, in a state where self is originating the desires of the heart.

We do not always understand the will of God,

but to trust His sovereignty completely is another matter!"

Mme. Jeanne Guyon  1648-1717  [France]

What an amazing quote from 300 years ago.  To trust God, even if we do not understand what He is doing.  It has a strange similarity to the words of a hymn written in 1887

.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey

These challenging words from yesterday speak powerful encouragement to my spirit.  It is so easy to get caught up in questioning God, that we forget to worship Him.  As the old saying goes, there is a God, and it isn't me.  But while we believe that, it is so easy to live as if we do not.

Job said it this way...

Job 42:3 (NLT)
You [God] asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I [Job]—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.


The Apostle Paul said it this way...

Romans 11:33-36 (NLT)
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! 34 For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? 35 And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?
36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.


I hear the same message in the scriptures, writing, and song.
It is a message of trusting in God, obeying God,
and putting my own messed up emotions aside!


Take time to reflect and enjoy!


Blessings,
Paul

New Creation!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

Do we really believe this, do we believe that Christ has made us a new person. If we have, then why do seem to be spending so much time on changing our old selves. God does not want to come in and fix the old Chris, he wants to create a new Chris. 

In fact the best way to keep from enjoying the new life that Christ has given us is to keep focusing on the old life. It is time to kill off that old life, then take up our cross, and follow Christ. In Colossians Paul says it this way, "Put to death the sinful earthly things lurking within you". Are we putting them to death or just hiding them in the closet.

Let us all stop worrying about trying to fix the old us, or hiding it away somewhere, and allow God to direct the new us.

I know, it is easy to say, but how do we live this out in everyday life?

Thoughts?

Pastor Chris

Surprise God Sighting

The first word that comes to mind is simply…WOW! 

Over the course of the last few weeks, our country has been blessed by a phenomenon that quietly comes and goes this time each year.  No…it’s not summer.  Believe it or not, this amazing, life imparting experience is…the World Series of Little League Baseball!

Now you might be experiencing a bit of let down as you ponder the significance of how 11 and 12 year olds playing baseball could possibly impact our country.  But, what I’ve seen these past few weeks has actually restored my belief in people, in family, and in our next generation…all to the glory of God!

16 teams from all over the world have collided in Williamsport, Pennsylvania to compete for the title of Little League World Champs!  Yet, different from our adult professional ranks, these young people haven’t been tainted by big contracts, high profile egos, or high profit endorsement deals.  No…these young men simply love the purity of the game!

But this message isn’t about baseball nor even the fun these young men are having.  Instead, it’s about what they’re teaching the world…but only if it’s paying attention.  Today, I’m watching two teams play each other for the United States Championship.  One is from Huntington Beach, CA and the other from Billings, Montana.  These two teams first met at the Regional Tournament in San Bernardino a few weeks ago.  They shared a dorm together there and became quick friends, initially brought together by their love of baseball, now bound by their love for each other.  Two nights ago, Montana beat California.  One would expect to see high emotion, tears, and even poor attitudes.  Yet to my amazement, the Montana team never thumbed their noses in poor victory.  And the California team actually smiled, cheered, tipped their caps, shook hands and even celebrated their friends…even at their own expense!

And now, as I write this, California has just returned the favor and defeated Montana and will face Japan for the Little League World Championship tomorrow.  Yet, with the reality of their run at a title being over, the young men from Montana are smiling, cheering, tipping their caps, and shaking the hands of their friends…even at their own expense.

These young boys are showing themselves to be mighty men!  While only one team will win the title, all of these young men seem to be winning character!

The lesson for us all is two-fold…

1. Imagine what it might be like if Republicans and Democrats remembered what it was like to play for the “love of the game” and our country instead of their own control over it.  Could you imagine the powerful message that would be sent if on election night, the losing team tipped their caps and cheered for their friends…even at their own expense?  Now I know comparing the pressure and responsibility of government to little league baseball is naïve.  But what about comparing the spirit which drives the “players”?

2. Imagine what it might be like if we, the followers of Jesus, remembered what it was like to have just been saved from hell and, in it’s place, redeemed by our loving Savior.  Could you imagine the powerful message that would be sent if we walked through the world with a spirit of relief and thanksgiving, celebrating the blessings and favor God may be bestowing on others…even in the midst of our own trials?  Now I know that comparing our life circumstances to little league baseball is also naïve.  But what about comparing the worldly spirit that drives their attitude to the Holy Spirit that should be driving ours?

Again, I simply say WOW!  Thank you Little Leaguers for showing me a small example of what the Church should be showing every day!  Through something as quietly passing as the Little League World Series, God spoke very loudly and called me to pay attention to how I play the “game” that He’s saved me for!


Little League World Series 2011 Website

Comments?

-Michael White

Ignorance is Bliss?

Is Ignorance really bliss, not in my experience, especially when it comes to God. Sadly, there have been times in my life where I did not want to take anytime to sit and listen to God. I was pretty sure I knew what he was going to say, and I did not want to hear it. Compare that to David's desires in Psalm 119:

Psalm 119:33-36 (NIV)
³³ Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
³⁶ Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.



I know that in the instances where I thought my way was better, I had to learn the hard way. This scripture is one of my prayers, that we/I would love the decrees of our King. I see this as the same as knowing the rules of a sport or game. If I want to get the most of the event and if I want to run as though to win the prize, I must know the rules, the better I know the rules the better I run the race.


How do you view God's decrees, are they obstacles to be avoided, or guides to live by?

Comments?

Pastor Chris

Glorify God While Eating and Drinking?

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  

Have you ever thought that you could glorify God by what you eat or drink. What about the rest of the mundane, day to day, activities that you take part in. Sometimes it is easy for us to limit Glorifying God to Sunday Mornings and Life Group.

I would encourage you to expand your view a little bit, get creative, and think of some ways that you can Glorify God with everything you do, not just the "Churchy" things.  What would it mean to Glorify God at your work, in your home, at school,  with your kids, while driving, watching TV or listening to music.

God does not want to be just a part of your life, he wants to be your reason for living.  Once we realize that Glorifying God is not something we do, but it is who we are, it makes it easier to Glorify God in all that we do.

How can you Glorify God in the basics of life?

Pastor Chris

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