Being in Self and Being in God: The question is, Are we with God?

“We are not doing this! GOD is doing this and invited you to help!

I went to my Wednesday night service this week, ”Pinnacle.” We started a series called Not a Fan. Completely Committed Follower.

I came away the first night thinking of exactly what the author was saying….Completely….Committed…..Follower….. or a Fan?

How do we define our relationship with Jesus?

Matthew 4:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Matthew 4:22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Matthew 4:25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Matthew 8:18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Matthew 10 Jesus sends out the Twelve

Matthew 15: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules

Matthew 20 The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Matthew 22 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 25 The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.……………
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:19-20 19 therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

What is the meaning of Luke Warm?

What are You? Hot or Cold?

Is there part of your life where YOU are in control?

Have you died to yourself and completely surrendered?

The question is not, Is God with us?

The question is, Are we with God?

Michael Mack
An American

My Cup Has Overflowed

Had this song sent to me today, what a great message................

I've never made a fortune,
It's probably too late now.
Oh, but I don't worry about that much,
'Cause I'm happy anyhow.

As I go along life's journey,
I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Ain't got a lot of riches,
Sometimes the going's rough.
But I've got a friend in Jesus,
And that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for all His Blessings on me,
And the mercy that He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Oh sure, I've been thru some storms,
And yes, I'm sure there were times when my,
Well, my Faith must have got a little thin,
But you know what it seemed like?
One day all at once, those dark clouds broke,
And that old sun, she started shinin' again.

So Lord, help me not to grumble and complain,
About the tough rows I have hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

And if I should go on living,
If the way gets steep and rough.
I won't ask for other Blessings,
'Cause I'm already Blessed enough.

May I never be too busy,
To help another bear his load.
And I'll keep drinking from my saucer,Lord,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Yes, I'll keep drinkin' from my saucer, Lord,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

My Cup Has Overflowed.
Copyright © Michael Combs

Michael Combs you have a hit!

Ephesians 3:20

Michael Mack
An American

Realizing Value

Never look down on anybody, unless you're helping them up!

To realize
The value of a sister or brother
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who has given birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to a premature baby..

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.

The origin of this letter is unknown,
But it brings good luck to everyone who passes it on.

Remember....

Hold on tight to the ones you love!

Are you the Potter or The Clay?

Jeremiah 18:1-6: "The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying; 'Arise and go down to the potters house, and there I will cause you to hear My words. Then I went down to the potters house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.

How to make a pot?

Take the clay out of the box and warm it by kneading it with your hands. You'll want to minimize the addition of air pockets and bubbles. Try to be aware when you are folding over the clay that you are creating air pockets. A great trick to eliminate air pockets is to keep the clay in a round shape, and keep throwing the clay back and forth between your hands. You can also throw the clay on a hard surface (like a table) multiple times.

How does the potter work?

Sometimes God allows certain things to happen because we need to be remolded. God uses very situation in our life to mold us into the vessel he desires not the vessel we want to be. People and situations are like sand paper to smooth out the rough edges..

God looks at this way making a masterpiece takes time...

Once the clay is warm and pliable, roll it into a long "snake." the diameter of the "snake" will determine the thickness of your pot's walls and uniform thickness.
Sometimes it may take a while to fashion the vessel to exact shape, size and thickness of the walls. I have a seen a potter look like he is almost finished with rough shape and flaws appear, and the potter will take the vessel and remold it again and start over because the vessel did not take contour he had in mind, when set out to make the pot.

Ask yourself this?

Do we embrace the challenge, the obstacle, or do we fight it?

Do we try to get off the potter’s wheel?

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

And later on in Romans 8 the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…

Mistreated? Lied about behind your back?

Laid-off from your job?

Banks steal your home?

Government misdeeds cause the stock market to fall and lose your retirement?

Someone rob you?

Whatever you are facing, sometimes you must go through the fire before you are "hardened steel." As the potter shapes the vessel and gets it into the shape and color it needs to baked in an oven or air dried.

Only after this process is the Pot hardened, ready to be used.

God puts us in situations where we must use our spiritual muscles.

When we had everything going right our human nature gave us the false impression “We” had everything under control.

We can say all day long “Lord I trust you,” “ Lord I depend on you,” but until we have all of your power taken away, Do you realize we are not in control over what happens, only then do we realize how helpless we are and only then are we able to be molded in the potters hand.

When we forgive the people who have harmed us,

Give back the control to God,

Believe even when it look’s impossible,

Stay in Faith even when it was unfair,

And flex our spiritual muscle and show God what we are made of and allow Him to fashion us back into the vessel He intended us to be.

After the “Fire” the Trust in God will be re-molded.

God is not interested in your circumstances he is interested in YOU.

God molds us because he loves and wants his children to follow him and trust him.

So, are you the potter or the clay?

1 Thessalonians 5
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Michael Mack
An American

A Good Laugh is Good for the Soul

The value of a Catholic education and a #2 pencil.

Little Susie was not the best student in Catholic School .
Usually she slept through the class.

One day her teacher, a Nun, called on her while she was sleeping.

'Tell me Susie, who created the universe?

When Susie didn't stir, little Johnny who was her friend sitting behind
her, took his pencil and jabbed her in the rear.

'God Almighty!' shouted Susie.

The Nun said, 'Very good' and continued teaching her class.

A little later the Nun asked Susie, 'Who is our Lord and Savior?'

But Susie didn't stir from her slumber. Once again, Johnny came to her
rescue and stuck her in the butt.

' Jesus Christ !!!' shouted Susie.

And the Nun once again said, 'Very good,' and Susie fell back asleep.

The Nun asked her a third question...'What did Eve say to Adam after she
had her twenty-third child?'

Again, Johnny came to the rescue. This time Susie jumped up and shouted,

'If you stick that damn thing in me one more time, I'll break it in half!'

The nun fainted .

Michael Mack
An American

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.

At the time crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet. Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrist.
Not into His palms as is commonly portrayed.
There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder.
The Roman guards knew that when the nails
were being hammered into the wrist,
that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus
to use His back muscles to support himself
so that He could breathe.

Both of His feet were nailed together.
Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail
that impaled His feet to the cross.
Jesus could not support himself with His legs
because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate
between arching His back then using his legs
just to continue to breathe.
Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.

Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours.

Yes, over 3 hours!
Can you imagine this kind of suffering?
A few minutes before He died,
Jesus stopped bleeding.
He was simply pouring water from his wounds.

From common images, we see wounds to His hands
and feet and even the spear wound to His side...
But do we realize His wounds were actually made in his body.
A hammer driving large nails through the wrist,
the feet overlapped and an even large nail
hammered through the arches,
then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear.

But before the nails and the spear,
Jesus was whipped and beaten.
The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body.
The beating so horrific that His face was torn
and his beard ripped from His face.
The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp.
Most men would not have survived this torture.

He had no more blood to bleed out,
only water poured from His wounds.
The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters
(just less than a gallon) of blood.

Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of his blood;
He had three nails hammered into His members;
a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that,
a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.

All these without mentioning the humiliation
He passed after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers,
while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones
(the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part,
where His hands were nailed).

Jesus had to endure this experience,
so that you can have free access to God.

So that your sins could be "washed" away.
All of them, with no exception!
Don't ignore this situation.

JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced God,

Which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining,

Just as brightly as his brass..

'Step forward now, soldier ,

How shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek?

To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,

'No, Lord, I guess I have not.

Because those of us who carry guns,

Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,

And at times my talk was tough.

And sometimes I've been violent,

Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,

That wasn't mine to keep...

Though I worked a lot of overtime,

When the bills just got too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,

Though at times I shook with fear..

And sometimes, God, forgive me,

I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,

Among the people here.

They never wanted me around,

Except to calm their fears

If you've a place for me here, Lord,

It needn't be so grand.

I never expected or had too much,

But if you don't, I'll understand.



There was a silence all around the throne,

Where the saints had often trod.

As the soldier waited quietly,

For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you soldier,

You've borne your burdens well.

Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,

You've done your time in Hell.'

Author Unknown~


It's the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the Freedom of the Press.

It's the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the Freedom of Speech.

It's the Soldier, not the politicians
That ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..

It's the Soldier who salutes the Flag,
Who serves beneath the Flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the Flag.

Pray for our men and women
Who have served, and are currently serving our country.
And pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom....

"Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you….

Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom."

GOD BLESS THE AMERICAN SOLDIER

Michael Mack
An American