Worship and Will #130

Romans 12:1-2
1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (NAS)

What is your heart's desire as a follower of Jesus Christ? The Bible tells of two very important aspects of our walk in Him. One of those is worship and the other is the doing of the will of God. In Romans, the Apostle Paul encourages your spiritual service of worship through surrender of your body to God.

Paul begs the believers in Rome to be totally yielded to God by presenting their bodies a living sacrifice. The condition of a sacrifice is dead, but in this cse Paul urges a livng sacrifice. Though the bod is alive it is not to be alive to sin. The sacrifice is made by GOd's mercy and results in holkiness. This living and holy sacrifice God accepts. As you yield yourself to God in surrender and submission, the body that contains your flesh and the sin that indwells you is under the control of the Spirit of God. The least you can logically do is submit to God. God accepts this sacrifice as worship. In fact the beginning of worship is the bowing down of your life before a Holy and Righteous God who has given you the grace and the mercy to be a living sacrifice. Your God is an awesome God. He seeks and urges you to be surrendered to Him. Our purpose for life is discovered in the act of surrender.

The second aspect of your walk with God is to do His will. The good, acceptable and perfect will of God is discovered as you are transformed by the renewing of your mind by God's Holy Spirit. The admonishment of the Bible is to refrain from conformity to the world and its systems. The will of God is accomplished as you are not conformed but are transformed. Today why not discover the wonderful experience of worship and the knowledge of His good, acceptable and perfect will.

__________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in Tempe, AZ

Praise the Lord. I asked all of you to pray for the liver tube exchange. It happened on Tuesday with good results. Probably the most exciting part was that the liver enzymes are in the normal range for the first time in over four years. God is good.

Our family will be celebrating our grandson, Burke's 10th birthday on Sunday. He actually turned 10 on Tuesday. Hard to believe the kids all grow so fast. Our newest grandson is expected on May 21st. Continue to pray for Mandy and John and the baby.

Sandy and I are home for a while now. It's kind of good to be home and be with family. Pray for opportunities for us to do ministry in the Phoenix area.

Appreciate your prayers. I think the thing I most get excited about is the realization that God is not finished with me yet. There are still those who need to hear about how great God is.

Love all of you. ~ DGW

Under the Circumstances #129

Philippians 1:12
12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, (NAS)

Ever find yourself in a mess? Most of us have. We might say we are under the circumstances. Although some would question you as to why you were under the circumstances it still is an accurate description of how we often find ourselves.

How we view those circumstances will have a profound effect on your life.

Paul, the apostle, whose circumstances were a jail sentence, found that he had a greater opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ than ever. He saw his circumstances as the hand of God on his life and the result was progress for the Kingdom of God.

Real purpose may be the very circumstance you find yourself in at this very moment.

_________________________Personal notes from Dennis

Greetings from Quartzsite, AZ!

Sandy and I are in Quartzsite this week. We are having a great time. The Lord has opened the door to share our faith in Christ with many people. We have shared the devotionals each morning with the Campers on Mission group. What a joy it is to watch a committed group of people to minister to the crowds at Quartzsite.

I would like to ask for prayer for my health. I am within two weeks of needing to have my liver tube replaced. It has really need changed sooner, so I am having some issues with my liver. I appreciate your prayers.

Sandy and I are looking forward to spending some time at home waiting for our next assignment from the Lord.

I appreciate all of you and love you. ~ DGW

Conforming to His Image #128

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NAS)

The ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life is to sanctify you, or make you holy. Your spiritual life is dependent upon the Holy Spirit. You cannot make yourself holy. You cannot grow yourself spiritually. You can through your openness to the Holy Spirit's molding and making you like Jesus give HIm a door for His work, for your spiritual growth.

You can place yourself under the control of God's Spirit and he will grow you in Christ-likeness. The Holy Spirit lives in you. The Bible tells us that the purpose of God is to conform you into the image of Jesus. In your life right now He is at work to make you like Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. These are characteristics of Jesus. He is developing these qualities in your life as the Holy Spirit sanctifies you or makes you holy.

What areas of your life is God working to conform you to His image? How is He accomplishing that transition and change in you? Are you like a piece of clay allowing the potter to mold you into the image of Christ, or are you like a piece of iron, hard and unyielding?

God wants to use your life for His glory. He accomplishes that resuly by conforming you to the image of Christ. Whether it is in our relationshp with God or with others; our lifestyle, or our attitudes and actions God is completing wht He begun in you. He is making you like Jesus, sanctifying you, making you holy in order that your life would glorify God. Today allow God to mold you like soft clay into His likeness.

___________________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Tempe, AZ!

What a wonderful day. Sometimes when I wake up I just have this wonderful feeling that this is going to be a great day. Today is one of those days. Hope you are having one like that.

Sandy and I leave on Thursday (14th) for Quartzite. We will be leading devotionals and sharing our faith with all who will listen. Pray for receptive hearts. We always enjoy being with the Campers on Mission Roadrunner chapter from Arizona. What a fun bunch of folks. We will be working with the Quartzite Southern Baptist Church all week.

God has certainly blessed us this past year. It has almost been a year since I was last hospitalized. I visited someone in the hospital on Tuesday and had many memories flood my mind of th 62 days I spent there in 2009-210. Not many were pleasant. Even the smells brought flash backs of hospital experiences. I hope to never have again.

I pray God will bless your life today and prepare you for the joy He has for you.

Love you all. ~ DGW

Inside Out #127

John 14:16-17 (Amplified Bible)

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever -

17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognive Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.

John 7:38-39

38 "He who believers in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'

39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Living life from the inside out was the goal of God for you. Jesus was nearing the end of His life on earth. Meeting with His closest disciples He brought the plan for their future. Althought He Himself would die and return to the glory of heaven He was not leaving the disciples alone. His plan was to send the Holy Spirit, the counselor, advocate, helpers to live not only with them but in them.

The faith they had in Jesus was the guarantee that the Holy Spiriti would indwell them. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to indwell the believers for the first time. He would from that point forward indwell every believer. Just think of it. The living God lives IN YOU. He provides you with power, comfort, peace, love, joyp; and the list goes on. You don't have to go beyond yourself to find God. He dwells in you. He designed you to be the instrument through which the God of the universe would dwell. Thus your life is not lived by things outside, but through the God who lives within; life from inside out.

The indwelling Holy Spirit Jesus said would be like a spring or river of living wter springing forth from Your life. This great advocate, counselor, helper and comforter is within you. Allow His live to flow from you today.

________________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from COLD, AZ!

Yes, that is right. It is cold here in AZ. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and that 2011 is off to a good start.

I had the privilege of preaching Sunday at Grace Community Church in Tempe. The message is available on their web site. Google: Grace Community Church Tempe, AZ and follow insructions to the messages. Hope you get a chance to listen.

Sandy and I are making preparations to be in Quartzite beginning next Thursday. We will be teaching as well as doing ministry to the large crowds of people from around the world. We pray that many will come to know Christ. Pray for our teaching and our witnessing opportunities.

I have attached several pics from 2010 ministries. We have been so blessed to share our testimonies and teach God's word in so many places this past year. God has blessed us with health to carry out these opportunities.

Our family continues to do well. Mandy and John are eager for the comming of their first baby,a boy, in May. Of course, Grammie and Tapaw are also pretty excited. Susan and Collin nare still working on their new home to be finished. Pray for the completion of the remodel where they will be able to move in soon. Roger, Jen, Burke and Bennett took the opportunity to travel to Disneyland this week while the boys are still on Winter Break.

May God bless you in this new year and shower His grace upon you. Remember to trust in the Lord with all of your heart.

Photos:

Sandy at the landfill, Pine, AZ.

Dennis preaching, Pierre, SD.

Dennis & Sandy with friend, Brian Hwrang,

from Singapore.

Dennis and his beloved fish!

Sandy in Salem, VA.