tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60209292011-04-21T11:03:51.799-07:00Celebrating Jesus Daily Daily Spiritual Edification from a Biblical Worldview.Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.comBlogger191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1107021431196923242005-01-29T09:52:00.000-08:002005-01-29T09:57:11.196-08:00Hey there,
Welcome to the New Year. Yeh, I know January is almost over and I have been silent for quite a while but I am back and have many things to share with you in the days to come. Hopefully things that will bless and encourage you.
A couple of weeks ago I taught on the subject "Making Sense of the Tsunami," a reponse to the awful tragedy that took place at the end of December. My message Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1069863759155887152003-11-26T08:22:00.000-08:002003-12-03T12:10:29.040-08:00Real Love
Many people claim to love Jesus. What's not to love about Jesus? Every major religion in the world
reveres Him as a great teacher, a prophet or a "supreme avatar."
But lip service love is not what He is looking for. The scriptures characterize real love for God as
the keeping of His word.
(Joh 14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the BibleRay Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1069639982396143452003-11-23T18:13:00.000-08:002003-11-25T17:04:41.926-08:00Giving Thanks
Pastor Ray Stark
1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. This is because I feel that it is the least tainted of the supposedly spiritually meaningful winter holidays. Christmas is a wonderful time of sharing with family and Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1069477167880199642003-11-21T20:59:00.000-08:002003-11-25T17:51:07.250-08:00Will I Stay or Will I Go?
Ray Stark
My thoughts can get a little edgy at night. Possibly even deep. Reflecting on almost a half century of life. Some of it better than I would have imagined in my youth. Some not.
All in all I am glad that this present life is not all I have been given from the hand of God. At night I tend to wonder what it will be like to be on the other side of death's door.Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1069308150719064502003-11-19T22:02:00.000-08:002003-11-25T17:05:11.033-08:00
Forgetting What is Past
Pastor Ray
Phillipians 3:10 - 15 Weymouth New Testament
Phi 3:10 I long to know Christ and the power which is in His resurrection, and to share in His sufferings and die even as He died;
Phi 3:11 in the hope that I may attain to the resurrection from among the dead.
Phi 3:12 I do not say that I have already won the race or have already reached perfection. But I am Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1069041854093854992003-11-16T20:04:00.000-08:002003-11-16T20:13:54.703-08:00Beautiful Feet
Pastor Ray
Taught out of Romans the 10th chapter at this morning's service. As I sit at the computer editing the audio from the message I taught so I can upload it tonight or tomorrow (Sermon Audio) I am freshly impressed with the graciousness and kindness of the nature of God. I also needed a break from editing my own voice and decided to get this down before the feeling passed.Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068914309675772372003-11-15T08:38:00.000-08:002003-11-15T08:43:33.950-08:00That's the Power of Love
Pastor Ray Stark
It was 2:30 Sunday morning when I came fully awake without warning. I hadn't planned to. When I had gone to bed 4 hours previously it had been with the intention of sleeping straight through until 6am. So much for my plans.
As I lay there staring at the ceiling the thought occurred to me that I might as well make use of my sleeplessness as an Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068828096183787252003-11-14T08:41:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:06:34.800-08:00Entrusted with True Riches
Ray Stark
Luke 16:1 He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
2 "So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'
3 "Then the steward said within himself, 'What Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068736873835490812003-11-13T07:21:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:06:58.360-08:00Praise is Faith
As I was waiting quietly before the Lord a few days ago the Holy Spirit spoke three simple words to my heart. Praise is Faith. That is all He said. Nothing more, nothing less but as I meditated on that statement it brought great blessing to me.
We are told in Hebrews 13:15 that our praise to God is to be both a sacrifice and an offering. Hebrews 11:4 proclaims that: By faith Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068610013552517822003-11-11T20:06:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:07:39.046-08:00Receiving the word of God
Pastor Ray Stark
In the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians Paul reminds the church at Thessalonica of his initial meeting with them, when he founded the church on his first missionary journey. Now he is writing to them and sharing some things which are on his heart. He says in 1 Thessalonians, the second chapter, in the first verse:
1Th 2:1 For yourselves, Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068476942476041202003-11-10T07:09:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:07:11.733-08:00All You Need Is Love
"All you need is love, love. Love, that is all you need."
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
That's the only thing that there's just too little of."
"Don't you want somebody to love? Don't you need somebody to love? Wouldn't you love somebody to love? You better find somebody to love."
"C'mon people now, smile on your brother. Everybody get together, try Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068326477478339872003-11-08T13:21:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:08:02.906-08:00“I won’t be your beast of burden”
(Jagger/Richards)
Mick and Keith may refuse to be anyone’s beasts of burden, but the sad fact is that throughout the millennia many of God’s children have had their backs and hearts broken spiritually by heavy religious loads placed on them by those claiming to speak for God.
Jesus denounced this practice in His teaching and yet it continues to this day.
MatRay Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068219137436589612003-11-07T07:32:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:08:37.436-08:00The Pause that Refreshes
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Come: deute
1) come hither, come here, come
2) interjection, come!, come now!
Labour: kopiao
1) to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief)
2) to labour with wearisome effort, to toil
Heavy laden: phortizo
1) to place a burden upon, to load
2) Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068130698481188522003-11-06T06:58:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:08:29.220-08:00There’s a new day comin’
Not a day goes by that we don’t hear of fresh evil being unleashed on our planet. Wars, rumors of wars, racism, genocide, global warming, corporate malfeasance… The list goes ever on.
How refreshing it is to be assured by the God of heaven that things will not always be this way. To be assured that a great change for the better is coming up around the bend.
Rev 21:1Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1068048681428163532003-11-05T08:11:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:08:15.076-08:00What is Eternal Life?
Is eternal life a matter of time? Unending bliss? A quantitative experience which never ends?
Or is it rather a quality of life? A union with the Spirit of Christ? A personally discernible relationship with the Almighty? John the revelator recording the words of Jesus gives us the answer.
Joh 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1067960150306784392003-11-04T07:35:00.000-08:002003-11-04T07:43:10.503-08:00Humility is for Everybody
1Pe 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1067881067457926872003-11-03T09:37:00.000-08:002003-11-03T09:38:29.913-08:00Escaping Temptation
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Temptation covers everything from the trial of our integrity ,to enticement to sin, to afflictions and sufferings which attempt Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1067815662348081162003-11-02T15:27:00.000-08:002003-11-15T19:09:18.140-08:00Being Approved By God
Jam 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
Greeting: G5463 chairo A primary verb; to be full of “cheer”, that is, calmly happy or well off; impersonal especially as a salutation (on meeting or parting), be well:
In today’s vernacular: “Cheers!”
Jam 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy whenRay Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020929.post-1067731265672434892003-11-01T16:01:00.000-08:002003-11-01T16:33:28.383-08:001Pe 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
STRANGERS G3927 parepidemos
an alien alongside, that is, a Ray Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02862523545503226986noreply@blogger.com0