This is a song I wrote a few years ago. Loiana and I translated it shortly after. This video is from the worship service at Antioch Fellowship Baptist Church on Sunday January 28, 2008. It was part of our presentation focusing on our next planned mission trip. One day maybe I will have a good singer to sing the songs I write. A better guitarist too?
The Lyrics:
“Take Me Jesus/Aceitame Jesus”
Take me Jesus, Take me Jesus Take me Jesus- I am Yours
I am Yours Lord I am Yours When I look to You, You never go away You are always true, I’ll follow You- all of my days I am Yours, I am Yours
Em Português: Aceitame Jesus, Aceitame Aceitame Jesus, Eu sou Teu
Eu sou Teu Senhor Eu sou Teu Você sempre esta presente Você sempre é fiel, e eu vou sempre Te seguir Eu sou Teu, eu sou Teu
“Commitment Among Corruption” (Matthew 13.31-32, 44-45)
In our previous journey to First Baptist Church of Chassahowitzka I preached from the following message outline. It is not a manuscript, as I am not in the practice of using a manuscript. It is then outline developed during my studies. While I know there are much better outlines and content out there, I have no objections to this being used for study or to preach without being given credit. I expect anyone who takes an outline to use makes it their own through further study anyway- especially with the bare-bones outline I offer.
He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13.31-32, 44-46 ESV)
Introduction: The world looks at the church and seed corruption and a mixed message. Is the world really seeing the church? People around us may claim to be Christians, but how many despise the Gospel of Christ?
Context (13.31a) • Parables refer to Kingdom, seeds, sower and corrupted seeds • Consistent ideas: Kingdom, few faithful, wicked among the believers • Pictures used: seed, sower, enemy/bird, tree, nest, leaven
Commencement (13.31b-32a) • Small beginning *whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice(Zech. 4.10 ESV) • Seeds yield mixed fruit: tainted by the enemy
Corruption (13.32b) • Mustard seeds: grow bushes, not trees (perverted growth) • Misused Gospel: perverted, overshadows true Church • Misnamed “faithful”: unbelievers considered Christian *Rome example (although I do accept that there are Christians within Roman churches) -33% (2.1 billion) of world “Christian” -1.1 Roman “catholic”- not a Gospel church -world sees RCC as the face of Christianity -false gospel: works not grace/tradition equal to Scripture -pope is vicar (substitute or replacement) of Christ • Birds: earlier Jesus defined at “the evil one” • Nests: entrenched, dwelling among God’s people • God’s people remain as a remnant (as in parable of the sower- good soil)
Commitment (13.44-46) • Find valuable item (the Kingdom- uncorrupted) • Sell everything (commit total life to it) • A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Psalm 91.7 ESV)
Conclusion: One day God will separate true believers from nominal Christians. He is not fooled and expects us to commit to Him no matter what we see going on around us.
In the following video Newt Gingrich discusses his concern for the United States of America. I do not like some of his choices in life and I did not like his trilogy of books- a supposed alternative history of the War between the States.
I felt he had the North win in the books because he was considering a run for the White House and did not want to be tagged as a closet Confederate. I also did not like his characterization of Jefferson Davis as a devious, evil man- a man without honor- at the end of the last book in the trilogy. I did not feel that having the North win made for a good alternate history. A win for the South would have opened up so many questions to explore.
Anyway, I digress. The following video makes me wish Newt Gingrich was running for President. I could vote for him with enthusiasm. Please sit back for about five and a half minutes and hear what he has to say.
I remember it well- it was September 2, 2003. I drove to Tampa International Airport to pick up my wife, Loiana, and my two-year-old (then) daughter, Virginia. They were returning to Florida from a mission trip to Brazil.
When I picked Loiana and Virginia up, they were both tired for the long trip. I was tired from rising early to pick them up and from driving to the airport. I desperately wanted time with my wife and daughter.
As we left the airport, we decided that we would visit my Grandfather the next day. My Grandfather was in Hospice care at his house because he was dying.
However, somehow I took the exit that led to his house. To this day I do not know how I ended up making that turn. If I would have kept on to a later exit we would have headed home. I drove down State Road 52 and past US 41. If I would have made a right on US 41 we would have headed home. If I would have made a right on Shady Hills Road we would have headed home. Still I headed right toward Grandpa and Grandma's house.
When we arrived he was in his bed and only drifting in-and-out of consciousness. I looked upon my Grandpa- the man who had made me laugh so many times with his quick wit and "Red Skelton-esque" humor. He was now so frail. The man who ran a laundry business and was very active in the local union in New York was now just barely who I remembered. I spoke to him and he barely acknowledged. My wife spoke to him and he barely acknowledged.
My grandpa, a nominal "Catholic," was given "Last Rites" by a minister from his church. I witnessed it and prayed for my grandfather to receive salvation from hearing the pieces of Scripture that were used in this ceremony. The minister left. Only our family and a Hospice nurse remained.
We spent time with Grandpa and Grandma that morning. Eventually we had to leave. We went to say good-bye to my Grandpa. When we whispered to him that we were leaving and loved him- with gentle kisses to his forehead- he did not respond. Not right away. As we straightened to leave, he said, "I love you Virginia," in a voice that had what strength he could muster at that point.
I tried not to cry. And to this day I can hardly contain my tears when I tell this story. For my Grandpa to tell my daughter that he loved her- the final words we would ever hear him say- meant more than if he said something to me.
That afternoon we received a call from my Dad that my Grandpa had passed on. Our final memory of him was a wonderful one despite his condition. I will never forget his words or his tone- he said, "I love you Virginia."
Name: pregador27 Home: My Heart is in, Northern, Brazil About Me: I will cover anything I am interested in from my Christian view. I will not always be right, but I will always be well right of center.
I was born in NY, but moved to the South when I was about 6 yrs old. I went on a mission to Brasil in 1995 and met the woman who I would marry 5 years later. We now have two wonderful daughters. Meu coração é verde e amarelo. See my complete profile
