12.31.11 "Last Words"

"Last Words"

Malachi 3:1-4:6
Revelation 22:1-21
Psalm 150:1-6
Proverbs 31:25-31

The last hours of this year are passing by. This has been another year of God's goodness. Many have gone through the reading plan of the One-Year Bible. Each day is a portion of the Old & New Testament, as well as Psalms and Proverbs. For the last day of this year, let's look at the theme of what the "last words" of each of these sections of scripture are saying.

The Old Testament closes with the book of Malachi. Chapter 3:1-3 says, "Listen: I will send my messenger before me to prepare the way. And then the one you are looking for will come suddenly to his Temple - the Messenger of God's promises, to bring you great joy. Yes, he is surely coming," says the Lord Almighty. "But who can live when he appears? Who can endure his coming? For he is like a blazing fire refining precious metal and he can bleach the dirtiest garments! Like a refiner of silver he will sit and closely watch as the dross is burned away. He will purify the Levites, the ministers of God, refining them like gold or silver, so that they will do their work for God with pure hearts."

Verses 8-11 speak of bringing tithes into the storehouse. "...if you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won't have room enough to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!" Nearing the end of the book, Malachi 4:4 says, "Remember to obey the laws I gave all Israel through Moses my servant on Mount Horeb."

Revelation 22:12 says, "See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay everyone according to the deeds he has done."

Psalm 150 closes out with 6 verses commanding us to praise him. verse 6 says, "Let everything alive give praises to the Lord! You praise him! Hallelujah!"

Proverbs ends with many verses talking about wisdom and the awesome joy of a godly wife.

Do you see a link with all of these? The thought that goes through my mind is, "What are you doing with what you have?"

Both Malachi & Revelation speak of Jesus coming and our works being tested by him. What are our works? They are what we've done with the resources we have.

Proverbs causes me to realize that I need to highly value one of the greatest resources in my care. My awesome wife.

The Psalms cause me to understand that with all that is within me I need to be praising God.

This is for real. I need to use everything at my disposal for the glory of God. He's coming soon! He longs to pour his blessings out on his people who obey his commands and bring him glory.

Lord, I commit all of this to you, for your glory in the year to come.

The last 2 verses of the bible say "He who has said all these things declares: Yes, I am coming soon! Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen!"

You may or may not be a person who looks at the new year with the "resolution" mindset, but we should be consistently setting goals for progress in our Christian walk. Most of the time our resolutions come across as big drastic changes, and therefore only last a few days or weeks. But really, most also have to do with an increase in discipline in some manner. If we make a huge goal in the area of discipline, we can get discouraged and give up, but I want to encourage you to pray about what areas of discipline the Lord may be desiring you to grow in for 2010.

I'm pretty sure for all of us, the Lord would love to see us spend more time with him. It's been great going through the One Year Bible again this year. Even though they may be the same words read last year, when ignited by the Holy Spirit, they bring fresh life for every day.

Make it your goal to spend time in God's word EVERY DAY of 2011. It will tremendously equip you to do all that he has called you to do. Allow His Spirit to work in you so that you can become all He has created you to be.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

12.30.11 "What's Left for God?"

"What's Left for God?"

Malachi 1:1-2:17
Revelation 21:1-27
Psalm 149:1-9
Proverbs 31:10-24

Over the course of the next few days we will hear a lot about resolutions. With the new year at the door, many people look at this as a time to evaluate where they are at, and what they are doing with their life, health, finances, etc. What about the year that has just gone by? What does that look like? What did you do for you? What did you do for God?

Malachi 1:6-8 declares: "'A son honors his father, a servant honors his master. I am your Father and Master, yet you don't honor me, O priests, but you despise my name.' 'Who? Us?' you say. 'When did we ever despise your name?' ' When you offer polluted sacrifices on my altar.' 'Polluted sacrifices? When have we ever done a thing like that?' 'Every time you say, "Don't bother bringing anything very valuable to offer to God!" You tell the people, "Lame animals are all right to offer on the altar of the Lord - yes, even the sick and the blind ones." And you claim this isn't evil? Try it on your governor sometime - give him gifts like that - and see how pleased he is!"

We don't offer sacrifices of animals, but we do offer God our time, talent and resources as well as lives of obedience. I was thinking about how so many people offer God what is "left" of these things.

"Well, we spent a little too much for Christmas, so we're going to have to wait to give in the offering." "Well, our family is really busy, so there's not enough time left, we're not going to be able to be involved in ministry."

Isn't it sad how backwards we have it? All of this belongs to God! He gets our best, not what's left over! When we live with this principle, WE can live on what's "left over". With our priorities in order, we will ALWAYS have more than enough, because we are living for HIS glory.

Some misunderstand and think that you can be a poor steward of your family for the sake of ministry involvement. That's not it at all. That is not the definition of healthy living. You need to integrate into your life and your family the proper understanding of what it means to put God's resources into service. In fact, the result of good stewardship of family is engaging them in ministry and making the church Body a significant part of life.

As we look at this new year, rather than making resolutions of how we can better ourselves, why not resolve to offer God the best of our best. Watch and see what happens when the obedience of the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship and the responsibility of Active Ministry Involvement become a part of our being and a part of who we are. We will live in an exciting new dimension of life and fulfillment.


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

12.29.11 "Praise Him!"

"Praise Him!"

Zechariah 14:1-21
Revelation 20:1-15
Psalm 148:1-14
Proverbs 31:8-9

Today's Psalm is a great reminder of why this world exists.

"Praise the Lord, O Heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, skies above. Praise him, vapors high above the clouds. Let everything he has made give praise to him. For he issued his command, and they came into being; he established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked."

When we look at the greatness of creation, we need to acknowledge that it all came from his spoken word. The fact that the sky exists declares his praise!

"And praise him down here on earth, you creatures of the ocean depths. Let fire and hail, snow, rain, wind and weather, all obey. Let the mountains and hills, the fruit trees and cedars, the wild animals and cattle, the snakes and birds, the kings and all the people with their rulers and their judges, young men and maidens, old men and children - all praise the Lord together. For he alone is worthy. His glory is far greater than all of earth and heaven. He has made his people strong, honoring his godly ones - the people of Israel, the people closest to him."

We are a product of the spoken words of God. It's time to rejoice & praise his name!!!!

"Hallelujah! Yes, Praise the Lord!"


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

12.28.11 "You Gonna Wear THAT?"

"You Gonna Wear THAT?"

Zechariah 12:1-13:9
Revelation 19:1-21
Psalm 147:1-20
Proverbs 31:1-7

Have you ever been asked a question that really isn't a question?  "You Gonna Wear THAT?" That's never a good question is it? How do you answer it... "no... I was just seeing what you'd say..."

Let's imagine Rev. 19 came about today. Put yourself there. "Then the twenty-four Elders and four Living Beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting upon the throne, and said, "Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!" And out of the throne came a voice that said, "praise our God, all you his servants, small and great, who fear him. Then I heard again what sounded like the shouting of a huge crowd, or like the waves of a hundred oceans crashing on the shore, or like the mighty rolling of great thunder, 'praise the Lord. For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns."

Can you picture it? It's really tough in our finite minds to imagine the splendor, the unrestrained praise. Oh, here's our cue:

"'Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him; for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the cleanest and whitest and finest of linens.' (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)"

There's something that struck me as I read this this morning: What do my linens look like? Christ has made us pure, and has made us his bride. Therefore we are there. My response MUST be one of PREPARATION. I need to live everyday preparing myself for the wedding feast of the Lamb. It's not so that I "look" like I "deserve" to be there, but because it should be my natural response to one who loves me SO much!

I'm thankful to have Jesus as my best friend. I love that picture. The danger of the "friend" mentality is forgetting the intensity of his Glory. His love for me constrains me to live in his will and for his glory. Do do any less would be to show up at the wedding supper in ripped jeans and a sweatshirt.

We do not think enough about eternity. It really should be at the forefront of our mind. Our life here on earth is so short in comparison.

I need to live my life as a representative of the Bride of Christ. Every step I take should be affected by the One who's done so much for me.

To him be the power and the glory for ever and ever!


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ

12.27.11 "Anger Management"

"Anger Management" 

Zechariah 10:1-11:17
Revelation 18:1-24
Psalm 146:1-10
Proverbs 30:33


Some practical words from Proverbs today.

"As the churning of cream yields butter, and a blow to the nose causes bleeding,
so anger causes quarrels."

"Anger causes quarrels." Sounds pretty obvious doesn't it. It ain't "rocket
surgery". Some people just seem ready for a fight. The anger is out of control.
Oh, it may not be a kick the dog/ throw things kind of anger issue. It could be a
much "slower burn". But either way, it's an unhealthy posture of the heart.

Anger needs to come under the subjection of Christ. If this doesn't happen, you
end up with a quarrelsome person. No one "plans" to turn out this way, it's a
result of undisciplined thought and undisciplined emotion. Did you know that
Anger usually stems from the feeling that someone "owes" you something? That
usually begins with prideful thinking, and can build into full blown bitterness. If
that's how we pattern our thinking, we are destined for quarrels at every turn.

We need to combat that with praise.

Today's Psalm says, "Praise the Lord! Yes, really praise Him! I will praise him as
long as i live, yes, even with my dying breath." Psalm 146:1

You wanna beat the anger issue? Combat it with praise! Praising the Lord puts us
in proper relationship with him. Our anger can't survive.

If you have problems with anger, what is it that is really pushing your buttons?

Look at Psalm 146:5-10: "But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their
helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea,
and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the
oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens
the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord
loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the
orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. The Lord will reign
forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the
Lord!"

When you read that, how could we leave room for anger to enter in and wreak
havoc? It's amazing how living the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship improves the
Relationships Devoted to Unity! Praise the Lord!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ 

12.26.11 "Next Door to Contentment"

"Next Door to Contentment"

Micah 5:1-7:20
Revelation 7:1-17
Psalm 135:1-21
Proverbs 30:5-6

Where do you live? You will probably answer with a town, an intersection, or a distance from a common landmark or location. But let me ask this: where do you live in proximity to contentment? Is contentment a long way off? near? I think so many times we live our lives "next door" to contentment. The amazing thing is that it has nothing to do with how much or how little one has. It has nothing to do with wealth or poverty. It has nothing to do with sickness or health. It has nothing to do with joy or sorrow. It's about where you live; the state of your heart. 

An individual with $100 to their name can live comfortably in contentment while the millionaire lives next door to it. Or, it can be the other way around.

What's the difference? In Micah we see a description. "You will eat but never have enough; hunger pangs and emptiness will still remain. And though you try and try to save your money, it will come to nothing at the end, and what little you succeed in storing up I'll give to those who conquer you! You will plant crops but not harvest them; you will press out the oil from the olives, and not get enough to anoint yourself! You will trample the grapes, but get no juice to make your wine." Micah 6:14-15

In context, this portion of scripture is the judgment on those who've sinned against the Lord. Isn't that a description of our world today? In Psalm 135:15-18 it says, "The heathen worship idols of gold and silver, made by men - idols with speechless mouths and sightless eyes and ears that cannot hear; they cannot even breathe. Those who make them become like them! And so do all who trust in them!"

We're surrounded by a society of people who've become like the idols they've made. They live with speechless mouths and sightless eyes and ears that cannot hear. Because of this idolatry, there are so many who live next door to contentment. Actually, some live miles away. But what can be expected? The word says those who make the idols become like them.

Contrast that with the picture in Revelation 7:16-17 "They will never be hungry again, nor thirsty, and they will be fully protected from the scorching noontime heat. For the Lamb standing in front of the throne will feed them and be their Shepherd and lead them to the springs of the Water of Life. And God will wipe their tears away."

Contentment is found in Christ. Our ultimate goal is to be in uninhibited communion with the Creator of the Universe. In His presence is fullness of joy.

In this Christmas season, the schedule may be busy, the finances may be stressful, but take the time to live in contentment. Our God has given us so much. There's no way we can fathom his greatness. More stuff, less stuff, more time, less time, none of that has to affect our contentment. We don't have to live "next door" to it. We can live in it.

Paul says to Timothy "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition." (I Tim 6:7-10)

Invite contentment into your home. It isn't something the you have to "wait until I get..." It can come wherever you are. We have been blessed with a beautiful home. But it doesn't come with a "contentment package". Contentment has nothing to do with surroundings and whether they are miserable or comfortable. Contentment has everything to do with the state of the heart and realizing that God always provides enough. 

Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ  

12.25.11 "Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas"

Zechariah 8:1-23
Revelation 16:1-21
Psalm 144:1-15
Proverbs 30:29-31

Merry Christmas! My prayer is that today you spend time celebrating Christ, and 
pondering the incredible fact that he came to earth to bring us peace, joy, and to 
give us the opportunity to be in relationship with the father.

Look at today's reading in Psalms: "O Lord, what is man that you even notice him?
Why bother at all with the human race? For man is but a breath; his days are like a
passing shadow. Bend down the heavens, Lord, and come. The mountains smoke
beneath your touch. Let loose your lightning bolts, your arrows, Lord, upon your
enemies, and scatter them. Reach down from heaven and rescue me; deliver me
from deep waters, from the power of my enemies. Their mouths are filled with
lies; they swear to the truth of what is false."

Puny man crying out to an awesome God for help. What does this amazing creator
of the universe do to save this man who is but a wisp of smoke?

He comes as a baby.

The power of all the universe placed in the most vulnerable of human form. For
what purpose? To save man. To rescue him. to deliver from the power of the
enemy.

Rejoice! "I will sing you a new song, O God, with a ten-stringed harp. For you
grant victory to kings! you are the one who will rescue your servant David from
the fatal sword." (vs. 9-10)

I don't know that we yet fully can comprehend the power of the Gift this Christmas
morning. It was such a small package, but no power can compare!

Thank you, for coming to save us!

Merry Christmas!




Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ 

12.24.11 "A Present Wrapped for You"

"A Present Wrapped for You"

Zechariah 6:1-7:14
Revelation 15:1-8
Psalm 143:1-12
Proverbs 30:24-28

Christmas Eve! When my daughter was 5, Lisa & I were awakened by our daughter jumping into our bed with us the morning of Christmas Eve. The three of us just laid there talking and resting. It was really nice. Annalese was lamenting that fact that we're a family who opens presents on Christmas morning. . "Don't some people get to open their presents today?" She then proceeded to present her case for an early event.

It's fun to look at Christmas through the eyes of a child. When they look under the tree, the imaginations are limitless. There's such excitement in knowing "There's something there for me!" Kids have an incredible ability to savor the moment. I asked Annalese, "What's the best part of Christmas?" Without hesitation she held out the piece of hot carmel roll she was eating. Oh that it was that simple, right?

It's too easy for us to distracted from what this is all really about. We carry around bundles of worry of how everyone is going to get along, where they're going to sit, the schedule and so many other things. The Lord says to Zechariah in 7:6, "And even now in your holy feasts to God, you don't think of me, but only of the food and fellowship and fun." The Lord desires to be a part of every moment of our lives. 

God wraps us a present each day, not just at Christmas. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives, and wraps it up in his word. As we get older, we see the trials of life, and can so easily forget to marvel at the present we've been given each day.


The Lord desires that we open our lives to him. To walk in his way. To trust him. Psalm 143:10 says, "Help me to do your will, for you are my God. Lead me in good paths, for your Spirit is good. "

There's no "lump of coal" in God's will for us. His "present" to us is his "Presence". Each and every morning we need to run to the "tree" (cross) ready to unwrap the infinite possibilities of His Presence. He is an AWESOME God!

Make sure you pause today & take the time to "breathe in" Christmas. Thank the Lord for what he's done for you. Take the time to Praise him. Worship him in the Christmas Eve service. Celebrate HIm in your home. 

Merry Christmas!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ 

12.23.11 "Through the Power of the Spirit"

"Through the Power of the Spirit"

Zechariah 4:1-5:11
Revelation 14:1-20
Psalm 142:1-7
Proverbs 30:21-23

"Through the Power of the Spirit, Live the DREAM!" That's been the closing line for these DEVO's for quite some time. Because of it's familiarity, it can very easily lose it's impact. 

We all know we need to mature in Christ. We know that comes through the study of God's word, and although we don't like it, but we know that it comes through the "pure joy" of trials that James talks about.

We also "know" that salvation is not of works, but sometimes we may not look like we know that. For instance, we can try to apply each of the DREAM principles to our life, but do it in our own strength. "I'll do my best to obey God's Word, get along with others, try to read my bible, join a ministry group, and pass out a couple tracks. I'm 'Livin' the DREAM!'" If we're not careful we can find ourselves living like those in 2 Timothy 3:5 "having a form of godliness but denying its power."

Today's reading in Zechariah has a familiar verse: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty - you will succeed because of my Spirit" Zech. 4:6 This is a verse that needs to be ingrained in our DNA. It must be a part of who we are.

God desires us to be who he has created us to be. He has sent his Spirit to complete that work in us. Why would we try to accomplish anything without the Spirit?

Over the past few years, I've gotten into doing construction projects around the house. We've finished the basement and built a deck. I know just enough about electrical, masonry, carpentry, etc. to THINK I can accomplish it on my own. I've come to learn oh so well the importance of having the right tool for the job. I tend to be creative, so I'll often use something for a task other than for which it was intended. Like doing finish carpentry with a hack-saw... not the smartest thing. Nothing a little putty wont cover up... Worse yet was when i couldn't find a saw, I thought I'd just pound a chisel through a board... almost needed stitches for that one. Through this process I also learned that there are those who DO know the way things should be done... they are on my speed dial. As I called one friend he said, "my goodness... I hope someone's takin' pictures of all this!"

We are created for a purpose. We are formed for the purpose of the Spirit working through us. Why do we so often try to accomplish things on our own? Why do we attempt to accomplish things in a manner other than we were intended? What are we thinking?

We must operate completely dependent on the power of the Spirit. Then something like the DREAM can be a powerful tool in our life! The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship becomes a life of obedience, radical faith, and glorious praise. Relationships Devoted Unity experience breakthroughs and we deal with people the way the Lord would. Empowered through Biblical Training becomes much more than cold ritual as God's word comes alive! Active Ministry Involvement becomes a phenomenal experience of God working through us as we use our resources for His glory. Our Mission to Reach our World for Christ becomes powerfully effective to the world around us.

Zech 4:7 says, "Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God's mercy, declaring that all was done by grace alone." 

What needs to be accomplished in your life? What breakthroughs are needed? Your name probably isn't Zerubbabel, but God has called you into his service, and there are probably mountains in your way. Live in the Power of the Spirit, expect great things, & see what happens!


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ 

12.22.11 "Sing and Rejoice!"

"Sing and Rejoice!"

Zechariah 2:1-3:10
Revelation 13:1-18
Psalm 141:1-10
Proverbs 30:18-20

Christmas time is here! While I may have caused that Charlie Brown tune to get stuck in your head, the thoughts of Christmas stir up a variety of thoughts and emotions in each individual. Because this is the most intensely celebrated day of the year for both the believer and the non-believer, there is a ton of pressure that this season lives up to expectations. What are you "expecting" for Christmas? No, not as a gift, but what are your expectations? For some it's not the expectations that are the issue, it's the hurt of past expectations that were unmet that sour the memories of Christmas. Sometimes these feelings can be quite intense, and they ultimately sour the anticipation of the celebration.

As we near the end of the year, the apocalyptic prophecies in the selected readings from the One Year Bible can seem somewhat foreboding. They don't seem "Christmassy" at the surface. But let's look at this account of Zechariah's vision in chapter 3:

"Then the Angel showed me (in my vision) Joshua the High Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord; and Satan was there too, at the Angel's right hand, accusing Joshua of many things. 

"And the Lord said to Satan, 'I reject your accusations, Satan; yes, I the Lord, for I have decided to be merciful to Jerusalem - I rebuke you. I have decreed mercy to Joshua and his nation; they are like a burning stick pulled out of the fire.'

"Joshua's clothing was filthy as he stood before the Angel of the Lord. 

"Then the Angel said to the others standing there, 'Remove his filthy clothing.' And turning to Joshua he said, 'See I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.'" (Zech 3:1-4)

Zechariah then foretells the coming of Christ. "Listen to me, O Joshua the High Priest, and all you other priests, you are illustrations of the good things to come. Don't you see? - Joshua represents my servant the Branch whom I will send. He will be the Foundation Stone of the Temple that Joshua is standing beside, and I will engrave this inscription on it seven times: I will remove the sins of this land in a single day." (3:8-9)

Jesus is the Branch sent by God to deliver our sins in a single day. Christmas is an incredible day. As a child I didn't think it would ever get here. It seemed so far off. It seemed like there was no chance of it ever coming. The anticipation was so great, it seemed like time was taking forever. But as adults, it will come and we know, Lord willing, it will pass. 

There's another day coming that's probably hard for us to imagine getting here. Each one of us will be standing in front of God. The Accuser will be there, and he will be asking for our Judgment. But there will be one who stands up and says, "NO!" There is no charge against him! That is the One who came on Christmas. He gave his life to remove our sins on a single day.

Zech 2:10 says, "Sing, Jerusalem, and rejoice! For I have come to live among you, says the Lord". 

Christ came to earth for me! For you. As you look at your family this weekend, look at them with the love of Christ knowing that he came for them as well! Our sins were taken away the day he died on the cross. What a privilege and honor to be able to celebrate this season. 

I find Zech 3:10 to be interesting. It says, "and after [he comes], you will all live in peace and prosperity and each of you will own a home of your own where you can invite your neighbors." Whether or not you own a home, there's a principle here. The result of his coming is that we live in the practice of hospitality. Whatever your resources are, use them this season for giving. If you have a home, make it a place that exudes the presence of Christ. If you are giving gifts, give with the motivation of the freedom we have in Christ. 

Sing and Rejoice! 


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ 

12.21.11 "Chain of Command"

"Chain of Command"

Zechariah 1:1-21
Revelation 12:1-17
Psalm 140:1-13
Proverbs 30:17

Everyday is like Christmas when it comes to reading God's word. Each morning as you sit down to read the word you have no idea what's wrapped in the pages for you. Every day the Spirit has something new. Some days it's fresh and exciting like a new toy, and other days it's something very practical like a pair socks. Don't get me wrong. We NEED socks! As we mature, we find our desires to be more for necessities. But no matter what it is, it's something the Spirit has wrapped for you. 

Do you ever have a child draw you a picture? You say, "Oh wow! that's beautiful!" In your mind you're saying "I have NO idea what this is a picture of!" Sometimes reading the Word is the same way. It takes a little bit of meditation and explanation from the Spirit for you to understand the gift. 

I've listed all of the scriptures that were a part of today's reading. Zechariah is prophesying about judgment and horsemen and the Angel of the Lord, and world powers. Revelation speaks of a red Dragon, and a woman giving birth to a ruler of all nations and a war in heaven. The Psalm is a prayer for deliverance from evil men and accusers, and the Proverb says, "A man who mocks his father and despises his mother shall have his eye plucked out by ravens and eaten by vultures." 

When reading verses like this, you may initially have one of those "that's beautiful/what is it" moments. Take a look this key scripture: Rev. 12:10 "Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, 'It has happened at last! God's salvation and the power and the rule, and the authority of his Christ are finally here;"

As we read through prophecies it's can be easy to get caught up and confused with the specifics of "who is the woman?" "What is the dragon?", "What do the horsemen represent?". There are times when the Spirit will unwrap those gifts for us too, but today let's just look at the word "AUTHORITY". In all of the scripture we read we need to see that God always lays out a Chain of Command. This covers everything from "the Accuser of our brothers has been thrown down from heaven to earth" (Rev. 21:10b) to "A man who mocks his father" in Proverbs. 

The Chain of Command is a big thing to God! 

The Psalmist's prayer today acknowledges this by the way he prays: "O Lord, deliver me from evil men. Preserve me... Keep me out of their power... Let their plots boomerang... don't let liars prosper..." God is in control! the last verse of this Psalm says "Surely the godly are thanking you, for they shall live in your presence." Those who live in the presence of God understand that HE is the authority. There is no "death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation," that "will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:38-39)

What freedom it is for a soldier to know that his commanding officer is in control. What freedom there is for us to know that God is the authority. There is a day coming (very soon) when all will see and acknowledge this authority, but what a privilege it is to know NOW and live in the freedom and protection of our God and King, our Commander in Chief. 

This applies to every area of life. In our workplace, in our home, in our extended families, we need to understand first that God is in control, and that he has commanded that those in authority over us AND "under" us be placed where they are. We have to be careful to rightly handle the authority that has been given us. Paul gives this charge in I Tim. 6:20 "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care." We must do the same. As you're together with family this Christmas season, honor your family. If you don't... stay away from birds... (remember the whole raven/eye thing!) and guard what has been entrusted to your care!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ 

12.20.11 "For the Glory of God"

"For the Glory of God" 

Haggai 1:1-2:23
Revelation 11:1-19
Psalm 139:1-24
Proverbs 30:15-16

"Active Ministry Involvement". It's the "A" in our DREAM acronym. Beyond that, what does that mean to you? How do you view it? 

At the surface it seems that Active Ministry Involvement (AM I) is just a matter of joining a ministry group. Choir, nursery, usher, etc. So then Living the "A" is a yes or no question. If you're a Sunday School teacher, you're living the "A". While that's a great start, that's not the whole picture. 

The book of Haggai sheds some great light on the principles of AM I. The specific references in this book are in regards to rebuilding the temple. However, we miss out on another view of the character of God if we don't realize that there are "life" principles involved here. Let's look at some of the verses and then bring life application.

"'Why is everyone saying it is not the right time for rebuilding my Temple?' asks the Lord. His reply to them is this: 'Is it then the right time for you to live in luxurious homes, when the Temple lies in ruins? Look at the result: You plant much but harvest little. You have scarcely enough to eat or drink, and not enough clothes to keep you warm. Your income disappears, as though you were putting it into pockets filled with holes! Think it over,' says the Lord Almighty. 'Consider how you have acted, and what has happened as a result! Then go up into the mountains and bring down timber, and rebuild my Temple, and I will be pleased with it and appear there in my glory,' says the Lord." Hag. 1:2-8

As you read through these scriptures, do you see the incredible picture? God has created us with the purpose of using the gifts and resources he has given us for HIS glory. When we use them for our own, it amounts to nothing. Do you remember when David asked to build a temple? The Lord said, "I don't need a temple." Yet in Haggai, the people are chastised for not working on the temple. Why is that? It's because they are not working for the glory of the Lord. They are working toward their own comfort and success.

Look at the world around us. Doesn't it look like verse 5-6? "plant much but harvest little", never have enough... I ran into a guy in a restaurant who said, "Yeah, we really need income, so I'm taking an extra job. You probably wont be seeing much of me around church." I felt bad for the guy. Whether or not the income comes in as he hopes for, soon he'll be wondering why there isn't enough time, etc. 

It's not just about joining a group or "serving our time" in a ministry. It's about applying the principle of blessing and giving to our life. 

verse 12-15 say, "Then Zerubbabel... and the few people remaining in the land obeyed Haggai's message from the Lord their God; they began to worship him in earnest. Then the Lord told them... 'I am with you; I will bless you.' And the Lord gave them a desire to rebuild his Temple; so they all gathered... and volunteered their help."

Notice what happens when the people gather to work for the glory of God: He is there! 

Do we wanna see revival? We need to begin to be generous with our time, talents and resources for the glory of God. This is not just for inside the walls of the church. This is for every part of life. We need to be "investors" of everything we have. 

Too often the answer is "it's not the right time". I love the Lord's answer, "Is it then the right time for you to live in luxurious homes?" In the same way people don't have to be "good enough" to begin to live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship, people don't need to "have enough" to begin to live the principles of AM I. 

What do you have right now? Give to the glory of God. It's not just about money. It's about your passion. Your experience. Your time. This is a BIG deal!

"You people were contaminating your sacrifices by living with selfish attitudes and evil hearts - and not only your sacrifices, but everything else that you did as a 'service' to me. And so everything you did went wrong. But all is different now, because you have begun to build the Temple. Before, when you expected a twenty-bushel crop, there were only ten. When you came to draw fifty gallons form the olive press, there were only twenty. I rewarded all your labor with rust and mildew and hail. Yet, even so you refused to return to me," says the Lord. 

"But now note this: From today, this 24th day of the month, as the foundation of the Lord's Temple is finished, and from this day onward, i will bless you. Notice, I am giving you this promise now before you have even begun to rebuild the Temple structure, and before you have harvested your grain, and before the grapes and figs and pomegranates and olives have produced their next crops: From this day I will bless you." Hag. 2:14-19

This scripture stirs up excitement in me! Oh, if we could only get this. It's not about the harvest or the fruit! It's about the application of this principle to our life! We don't shovel our neighbor's snow because they need it, we shovel it because it's a part of who we are! For the Glory of God. As we do that, we are building the Temple! That's why we change diapers in the nursery! Yes, they need to be changed, but more importantly, we are applying the AM I principle of responsibility to our life. 

Can you see it? Can you see what happens when the church awakens and REALLY applies this to their life? Instead of looking at ministry as "community service" like the world does, and begins to work each and every day as unto the Lord, we will experience the blessing and presence of the Lord as never before! And the world will see his Glory! 


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ